Sam Lim’s ‘Tea Thambi’ Content Sparks Fury: Misstep or Misunderstood Humor?

Source: World Of Buzz

Social media influencer Sam Lim has landed in hot water after his videos featuring local entrepreneur Kavievanan Subramaniam went viral for the wrong reasons. The two-part video, where Sam interacted with Kavievanan and one of his staff members, has drawn heavy criticism from Malaysians.

In the video, Sam inquired about their business, Kavievanan’s alleged RM100,000 income, and controversially asked questions about their race and nationality. The line of questioning included, “Are you type B or type I?” When Kavievanan clarified that he was Malaysian and expressed confusion over the term “type B,” Sam urged him to “look around” and referred to foreigners in the area. Kavievanan firmly denied being Bangladeshi.

Sam also directed his “type” question to Kavievanan’s staff, who similarly identified as Malaysian. However, Sam pressed further, asking the staff member if he had his passport with him. He then turned to the camera, jokingly suggesting, “He doesn’t have an IC. He’s scared. He’s type B. (But he’s saying he’s) Malaysian. Later, DBKL might come and get them.”

In another segment, Sam demonstrated how ‘type I’ individuals sell tea in India. This was followed by comments on Kavievanan’s tea business, including questioning the price, the portion size of his RM1 masala tea, and whether his bicycle stall outlet was licensed. Though Kavievanan confirmed having a license, Sam joked, “There’s no need for a license when you’re doing business by the roadside. RM100,000 income is possible. Everything, no need to pay. Tax, I don’t know if he pays.”

In a second video, Sam took over Kavievanan’s bicycle stall, pretending to run the business. He later asked how Kavievanan managed to go viral without a TikTok account, to which the latter replied that he relied on word of mouth. As the video concluded, Sam humorously advised Kavievanan’s staff to run if DBKL appeared.

Public Reaction
Malaysians were quick to voice their displeasure, calling out Sam’s questioning about race as inappropriate, disrespectful, and even racist. Many pointed out the insensitivity of repeatedly associating nationality with race and criticized his approach.

“This can be considered racist,” commented one viewer.

Sam Lim’s Defense
In response to the backlash, Sam explained that he had contacted Kavievanan beforehand and obtained his consent for the videos. He also sent the videos to Kavievanan before posting and received no objections.

Sam maintained that his content was meant to be lighthearted, claiming, “It’s just content,” and dismissed the controversy as media exaggeration. He alleged that certain media outlets deliberately labeled him as racist to gain engagement and accused them of defamation.

“These media platforms, I don’t know which company, started this fireback. They posted my content; I believe this is a new start-up company or some company that doesn’t get any engagement. They want to ride on the coattails of my name,” Sam said.

Addressing Race in Content
Sam further defended his approach by highlighting Malaysia’s racial diversity and argued that acknowledging racial identities is normal.

“In Malaysia, we have a lot of races. Even in hospital forms, they ask for your race. Should I say that the hospital is racist? I admit I am type C. If another person is Malay, admit lah type M. If you’re Indian, you’re type I. It’s part of being Malaysian,” he explained.

Sam expressed frustration over being labeled racist and announced plans to take legal action against the media outlets responsible. “If I meant to be racist, I wouldn’t be on social media anymore. So stupid meh? Racist people going and doing social media?”Sam concluded by reiterating that his intent was harmless and that his critics had misunderstood his content.