Roadside Corn Seller Says Sorry After His Racist "Not For Sale To Keling" Sign Went Viral
The issue was highlighted by an Indian Malaysian woman, who claimed the seller reacted aggressively.
By Sadho Ram, Khirthnadhevi Kumar — 17 Feb 2025, 01:06 PM
A roadside corn seller in Sepang has apologised after displaying a handwritten sign with a racial slur against Indian Malaysians, stating that his corn cobs were "not for sale to Keling"
In a post shared by National Unity Minister Aaron Ago Dagang this morning, 17 February, the seller apologised to all Malaysians, particularly the Indian community, for his actions.
"I admit I was wrong. I apologise to all Malaysians, especially to the Indian community," he said.
The seller, Abdul Aziz, expressed regret for using the racist slur, saying he did not intend to insult Indians.
"This incident happened unintentionally. There were no bad intentions on my part. I didn't realise that it had negative connotations. Now that I've been made aware, I know what I did was wrong," he said in the apology video.
Abdul Aziz also promised not to repeat his actions and urged everyone to support his business.
The apology was made at a restaurant in Sepang yesterday, 16 February, where National Unity and Integration Department officials, representatives from the Indian community, and local residents were present.
According to the minister, neighbourhood watch leaders Roseman and Syawal acted as mediators in resolving this issue.
"Their role in addressing this matter has strengthened public confidence in the neighbourhood watch as an agent of unity and conflict resolution.
"This also highlights the importance of cooperation between community leaders and authorities in preserving a harmonious and peaceful environment," the minister added.
WATCH:
This apology comes after a video about the sign, which read, "Sorry, ini jagung tidak jual sama orang Keling", went viral
The person who posted the video, who has since removed the original video from her TikTok account, noticed the handwritten sign while walking past the roadside corn stall in Sepang.
Shocked and angered, the Indian Malaysian woman stopped to confront the stall owner, telling him the sign was racist and needed to be removed.
"He responded by pointing his finger at me, even touching my nose, which I found very aggressive. I felt unsafe. I went to a nearby restaurant, but the owner followed me, filming me. I also recorded him," she said.
As she processed what had happened, she noticed several Indian Malaysians passing by the stall but wasn't sure if anyone else had confronted the seller or filed a police report.
"I felt deeply saddened. So many in our community criticise each other on social media, but when blatant racism unfolds in real life, many just walk by and do nothing," she said.
Meanwhile, several politicians have called for further action against the corn seller
UMNO Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh, in a Facebook post today, stated that mere apologies will not suffice, and those who spew racist remarks should face legal action.
"It doesn't matter who they are, legal action should be initiated so that it could be a lesson to all. If not, this culture of 'do first, apologise later' will be prevalent and people can easily get off the hook," he said.
DAP chairperson Lim Guan Eng said the incident highlights the need for an anti-racial discrimination act to address and punish deliberate acts of inciting racial hatred.
"The unfortunate incident in Sepang involving an ordinary trader refusing to sell corn to Indians and using derogatory language is extremely disturbing and indicates the extent to which such unhealthy and irrational racist sentiments have influenced certain segments of society," Lim said in a statement yesterday, 16 February.
