A man said he was from Sarawak. The e-hailing driver replied with, “Welcome to Malaysia.” We wish we were joking.
That one-liner, shared in a Threads post by a Sarawakian man, quickly made its way across social media.
Not because it was shocking, but because it was all too familiar for East Malaysians.
He had just touched down in Kuala Lumpur for a quick work trip. Everything seemed routine until the driver asked where he was from. His answer? Sarawak.
I said, ‘Sarawak.’ He said, ‘Welcome to Malaysia.’”
Wait, what year is it again?
What followed was an awkward ride filled with unsolicited “tourist tips.”
The e-hailing driver confidently assumed it was his first time in the city and began explaining major landmarks like KLCC, TRX, and Bukit Bintang, as though the man had never seen an escalator before.
I just kept going ‘em’ the whole ride. Still recovering from that ‘warm’ welcome.”
The post struck a nerve, prompting an outpouring of similar experiences from Sarawakians and Sabahans.
Many of them have learned to expect ignorance when they’re in Peninsular Malaysia.
East Malaysians relate hard
One commenter, who’s been living in KL for over a decade, admitted that not much has changed.
“You’d think in 2025 this wouldn’t happen anymore. But it still does. I’ve started saying I’m from the East part of Malaysia now.”
They added, half-jokingly, that they’ve developed a thick skin after growing up in a generation that received only 5% royalty from West Malaysia under the PDA1974 agreement.
“Because I’m petty like that.”
Others began listing the kinds of bizarre questions they’ve received from fellow Malaysians, and honestly, it reads like satire.
- “Got terrace houses in Sabah?”
- “What currency do you use?”
- “Welcome to Malaysia.”
- “Isn’t everyone in Sabah orang asli?”
- “Do you use sampan for e-hailing?”
- “Is your driver’s seat on the left or right?”
Despite how ridiculous these sound, many pointed out that these comments didn’t even come from elderly folks. They came from Malaysians in their 30s and 40s.
“I just laugh and let it go,” one said, clearly used to it by now.
From currency to ICs, the assumptions continue
But it doesn’t stop at housing or transport. One Sarawakian shared how a colleague genuinely asked if they even had a MyKad, Malaysia’s national identity card.
“She treated me like a foreigner, you know? Haha.”
Another netizen expressed frustration over the lack of basic knowledge among Malaysians about their own country.
“Did they even study history or geography? Sabah and Sarawak are part of Malaysia. These are literally the bumiputra of our nation.”
While many took it in stride, others were clearly fed up with the ignorance, with one writing: “It’s been 67 years since Merdeka, and some Malaysians still don’t know Sarawak is in Malaysia. Kesian, really.”
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