Malaysian Chinese woman goes viral for speaking fluent Tamil at family chicken rice stall

The Instagram clip, posted on Jan. 28, features 24-year-old Lynette Lee casually chatting with a customer in Tamil, asking if he wants sauce on his chicken rice and whether he would like vegetables, according to The Straits Times.

The video quickly gained attention, receiving over 11,600 likes, with an online user commenting, "So impressed with your Tamil."

Lynette Lee at her parents' chicken rice stall in Penang State, Malaysia.

In another video, Lee is seen talking to a group of customers in Tamil, asking if they want to combine their orders and whether they would like the chicken deboned.

Lee told the Straits Times that she and her four siblings were raised by an Indian babysitter, which exposed them to Tamil on a daily basis at home.

"By the time we were old enough to remember, we were already able to speak and converse in Tamil naturally," she said, adding that they had no formal education in the language.

Lee said regular conversations with her babysitter made Tamil the language she felt most comfortable using.

"Even when we are back at our own home, we [she and her siblings] speak Tamil with one another," she said.

Lee is a law graduate and fluent in English, Malay and Mandarin. She is currently working as a paralegal while preparing for her Certificate in Legal Practice.

She said many customers at her parents’ chicken rice stall, established in 1979, have been regulars since she and her siblings were young.

Some are now bringing their children and grandchildren to the stall, she added.

"Being able to communicate with our customers in Tamil creates a sense of familiarity and trust," Lee said.