Chinese Family Goes Viral For Speaking Fluent 'Kelate' During CNY
Mekyun says everyone in Kelantan speaks the dialect regardless of race.
By Yap Wan Xiang — 21 Feb 2024, 12:45 PM
A video showcasing a Chinese Malaysian family speaking fluent Kelantanese dialect has gone viral on Instagram, astonishing over a million netizens
In the one-minute video posted last Saturday, 17 February, content creator Mekyun shares a glimpse of her immediate family visiting her uncle's house as part of their Chinese New Year celebration.
"Hari ini, Mekyun berada di open house rumah sepupu untuk Raya Cina (Today, I'm at my cousin's house for Chinese New Year).
"Menu kita nasi lemak (The menu is nasi lemak)," she begins the video, speaking Baso Kelaté, the Kelantanese dialect.
She then puts all of her family members on the spot, urging them to speak the dialect.
"Hi, sek kito," greeted a family member, using a Kelantanese slang that means 'my gang'.
When the camera shifts to her uncle and father, they proudly flaunt their fluency in the dialect by joking about their pot bellies.
Watch the video below:
At the time of writing, Mekyun's video garnered over 1.6 million views on Instagram
On TikTok, it has amassed 1.2 million views.
"I love listening to Mekyun's family converse in the Kelantanese dialect, [and] that udang petai looks delicious," read a top comment.
"I love Mekyun's content because it bridges the gap between the two main races in our country. We are all one country even though we are different races," wrote an Instagram user.
"The Chinese community in Kelantan is truly different than the community in other states. They can assimilate local Malays' lifestyle into their lives, and are even proud to speak the Kelantanese dialect with one another," added a netizen.
Speaking to SAYS, Mekyun said she has been living in Kuala Lumpur for over a decade, but grew up in Kelantan until the age of 10
She explained that her father's career in the army required her family to move around the country frequently.
Her father, Wee Han Siew, was conferred a Datuk title in 2017, and held the rank of Rocket Artillery Brigade Commander Brig Jen until his retirement.
According to Mekyun, her father's hometown is in Rantau Panjang, while her mother, who is of Thai descent, is from Lundang.
"I actually picked up [the Kelantanese dialect] when I was in school.
"Because, in Kelantan, no matter you are Chinese, Indian, or Malay, everyone speaks the dialect. So, by hook or by crook, you need to learn how to speak it.
"I learned it from school... so I could speak it with my friends. And [naturally], I could also speak it with my family," she explained.
Mekyun, who won the Best National Entertainment Influencer award at the KNKV Viral Award 2024 last night, 20 February, added that aside from the Kelantanese dialect, she and her family also converse in Hokkien, English, and a bit of Thai.
Earlier this month, Mekyun appeared on SEISMIK's podcast to talk about what makes us Malaysian.
Watch the episode below:
