Radio Station Clapback Response to Netflix Snub on Malaysian Street Food

Malaysian radio station BFM 89.9 and advertising agency Fisherman teamed up for #BersatuForMakan, a call to unite for shared love of food, to celebrate National Day and Malaysia Day

When Netflix Street Food Asia premiered, countless people were impressed including us. The show depicted the region as a paradise for food lovers through featuring seasoned chefs and amateur cooks in Southeast Asian countries like Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Japan, and the Philippines. Unfortunately, it failed to take notice of Malaysia.

Local foodies could not help but express their dissatisfaction over the company’s decision to overlook the tasty cuisines of their country. In response, local radio station BFM 89.9, together with independent advertising company Fishermen launched a self-produced video which brilliantly showcased Malaysian street food. The video also enlisted Tune Hotels and Malaysia Airlines as a sponsor.

“We were tired of seeing how Malaysia is always overlooked in many aspects. Additionally, Malaysia doesn’t have that much PR to market our culture and food,” said Managing Director of Fishermen Mark Darren Lee.

Unite for Food

Both parties also urge Netflix to run #BersatuForMakan, which means Unite for Food, as part of the famous Street Food Asia series, through a petition.

The video was even made in the same format and style as the aforementioned show. This way, it will be more convenient for it to be included in the series.

“Instead of producing another web film to pull heartstrings, we decided on something unique: A longer format 30-minute film that’s also ready-made for Netflix. It was the right opportunity to work on an idea like this, so we seized it,” stated Fishermen Executive Director Andrew Tan. 

According to Lee, the company feels fortunate to have partnered with BFM who stands by a daring idea to bring Malaysian together through unity and identity. He added that they are extremely happy to see people’s overwhelming response.

Instead of sulking, the makers of the video acknowledge that Netflix is a great platform to raise awareness of Malaysian culture. They also cleared up that the video was not meant to make the streaming company angry. At the end of the day, they are all still Netflix subscribers.