Apart from trying the many delicious local dishes, Malaysians are also fond of seeing foreigners attempt at speaking Malay, especially if they’re a celebrity.
Joining that list of celebrities at learning the language was former badminton player Lin Dan who had his buddy Datuk Lee Chong Wei to teach him a few simple go-to phrases.
Over the long weekend, Malaysian badminton legend Datuk Lee Chong Wei posted a video on his Instagram of him teaching Lin Dan, who was recently in Kuala Lumpur for the Badminton World Federation (BWF)’s Hall of Fame ceremony, how to say a few greetings and phrases in the Malay language.
In the video above, the former World’s no.1 started off by teaching his fellow athlete the most simple greeting, “Apa Khabar” which means “How are you?” in English. The two-time Olympic champion’s first attempt was a success, pronouncing the words with such clarity. The second phrase, “Terima Kasih” or “Thank you” was no different as the 39-year-old once again said it right on the first try.
The phrase that got fans amused was “Aku Cinta Kamu” (I love you), which Lin Dan then jokingly used to “express his love” for his Malaysian friend. Lee Chong Wei got flustered and laughed but still appreciated the gesture. The post received mostly positive reactions from Malaysians who were happy to see two legends having a friendly exchange. One even asked the father-of-three to teach his former rival more complicated words.
In other news, both Datuk Lee Chong Wei and Lin Dan were inducted into the BWF’s Hall of Fame back in May. While there was controversy regarding the former’s qualifications as a recipient of the recognition, the sport’s governing body responded, saying, “Both [Chong Wei and Lin Dan] are worthy recipients of the accolade for their outstanding contributions to badminton beyond the confines of the court over a significant period of time.”
