KUALA LUMPUR – An Indian nasi lemak seller was thrust into the public limelight after videos promoting her array of dishes went viral online, causing throngs of eager customers to queue hundreds of metres to sample the home-cooked menu.
The seller, identified only as Sangeetha, operates a humble stall in Seri Kembangan and has garnered a large following of loyal patrons willing to line-up for hours for a chance to try her nasi lemak and other dishes such as squid sambal, chicken rendang, and quail egg sambal.
While Sangeetha, who refers to herself as “Akka Nasi Lemak” (Nasi Lemak Sister), had set up shop in the area about a decade ago, her stall recently gained popularity after food blog KL Foodie posted a video on TikTok reviewing local cuisine.
The video was then shared to Twitter by user @jllmisai, whose tweet has received over 1,560 retweets and nearly 5,000 likes as of press time.
Beratur panjang betul.. Siapa pernah makan nasi lemak Akka depan Hong Leong Bank Puncak Jalil ni? Dah letak banyak lauk pun masih nampak original nasi lemaknya.. ? pic.twitter.com/gm4exPFB7M
— Jalal Misai (@jllmisai) April 26, 2023
While several commenters expressed their delight at the support given by the public to a local Indian trader, many also noted their surprise that some customers had taken the initiative to queue for lengthy periods of time.
Taking to TikTok, user @meerasha2 shared her experience waiting over 11 hours to visit the stall, while another user, @haxrexnaxxiax_08 said he had stood in line for seven hours to purchase packs of the much-talked-about nasi lemak.
@meerasha2 finally gt our nasi lemak after waiting almost 7 hours☺️… #akkakadainasilemak #akkanasilemakserikembangan #nasilemakviral #nasilemakserikembangan #akkanasilemakserikembangan @Akka Nasi Lemak Seri Kembangan @Black Mafia ♥️? ♬ The Monster (KGF) - Rosh Blazze
@haxrexnaxxiax_08 : Finally , After 7 Hours ? . #akkanasilemak #serikembangan ♬ original sound - : HaareeNambiar ?? .
Twitter user @pereira9403 said that he had braved heavy rain to join the queue at 4.30am before finally being served at 8.45am.
Reached @ 4.30 am. Got to the front at 8.45 am. It was an experience. The longest I’ve waited in a line, ever. Everyone who came were in high spirits, even under the heavy rain. Those who had umbrellas shared with those who didn’t. Truly Malaysians. Jap I review in a while ? pic.twitter.com/xVcba6YPvV
— DP (@pereira9403) April 20, 2023
A separate video posted by content aggregator @mynewshub showed massive crowds of eager customers, with crowds of people queuing by the side of the road leading to the stall manned by Sangeetha, who is seen catering to customers speaking in several languages.
Ni kalau tak sedap nasi lemak dia...tak tahu la nak cakap apa... pic.twitter.com/it7efDBEJt
— MYNEWSHUB (@mynewshub) April 21, 2023
Following Sangeetha’s rise to fame, Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli’s special officer Thiban Subbramaniam said that he will ensure the seller has the necessary documents to legalise her business.
Noting that he had paid a visit to Sangeetha last week, Thiban, who is also PKR vice-secretary, said that he was accompanied by representatives from the Selangor administration and Subang Jaya City Council.
He also said that Rafizi had instructed his team to help Sangeetha – a mother of two and the sole breadwinner for her family – sign up for the People’s Income Initiative (IPR), which is aimed at eradicating poverty and improving the people’s income.
Once I received the info about this viral Nasi Lemak seller Akka facing license issues it was shared with YBM @rafiziramli. We were asked to assist her to sign up for Inisiatif Pendapatan Rakyat - Insan program under @EPUMalaysia. Yesterday I visited her house on behalf of YBM… https://t.co/DbSYGGFpL6 pic.twitter.com/1FgAsiqs8S
— Thiban Subbramaniam ?? (தீபன் சுப்ரமணியம்) (@Thiban_ben) April 21, 2023
“She was super excited when we explained about the programme, (which will allow her) to sell her nasi lemak via vending machines.
“Soon, the nasi lemak will be available on vending machines!” he enthused in a tweet where he also shared a video of his conversation with the trader.
Sangeetha has since set up her own TikTok account to keep her followers in the know on updates regarding her stall, with her most recent video posted on Wednesday noting that she will be taking a brief break due to unstable water supply in her area.
Those interested in giving Sangeetha’s nasi lemak a shot can find her stall open from 6am to 12pm in front of Hong Leong Bank at Jalan PUJ3/2 in Taman Puncak Jalil, Seri Kembangan. – The Vibes, April 28, 2023
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