Paying RM362 for a Ramly burger but in Cambodian riels?

The yummy but yet-to-be-opened version

by Dr Rahim Said 

Oh yes! the Ramly burger — a greasy, glorious icon of Malaysian street food, a cure-all for hunger pangs and post-clubbing blues. It’s not just a burger; it’s a national experience. 

So, when American YouTuber and “live” streamer IShowSpeed — known for his loud antics and even louder wardrobe — rolled into Kuala Lumpur, it was only a matter of time before he bit into this sizzling slice of Malaysian heaven. 

But this wasn’t just any late-night snack. It became, as all things IShowSpeed tend to, a spectacle. In what can only be described as a scene from a drama series where the budget for logic has run dry, IShowSpeed paid for his burger… in Cambodian riels. That’s right, folks, he made it rain KHR instead of RM, and the world (well, TikTok) hasn’t stopped buzzing about it since.

Now, let’s break this down. First, the burning question: how much did this live-streaming firecracker fork over for his “burger special”? Was it a chicken patty? Beef? Or maybe lamb?

We’ll never know because Bob, the burger boss behind the grill, was too busy counting cash to keep track of the fillings. What we do know is that IShowSpeed handed over seven KHR50,000 notes. A whopping KHR350,000, which translates to RM362.

That’s right — RM362 for a Ramly burger. That’s nearly the price of a steak at a five-star restaurant, and all Bob had to do was flip a patty on his roadside griddle.

The real tragedy here is not that IShowSpeed likely paid more for his burger than he did for his flight to KL. It’s that he paid this insane amount without even realizing he wasn’t handing over US dollars. How many people can say they’ve accidentally tipped their local street vendor the cost of a month’s rent in a foreign currency? Well, now we know at least one.

Bob, for his part, is now famous, having been watched by over 300,000 viewers during this high-octane burger transaction. But fear not — Bob has assured everyone that his prices remain in good ol’ Ringgit. And a regular Ramly special will still set you back just RM7 to RM12, as it should. You won’t need to sell a kidney to enjoy one.

While the internet is still grappling with the absurdity of it all, suggestions have started pouring in. Some have recommended renaming the burger the “IShowSpeed Special,” while others are advocating for the cash — yes, those infamous KHR notes — to be framed as a souvenir of the time a multimillionaire American YouTuber got his currencies mixed up and turned a humble Ramly burger into the world’s priciest street snack!

But let’s be real: it’s not about the money. This story is about generosity, right? IShowSpeed wasn’t just paying for a burger; he was tipping his abang burger for the performance of a lifetime.

In a world where influencers casually give away luxury cars, here was IShowSpeed saying, “You, sir, deserve 350,000 Cambodian riel for that perfectly wrapped, egg-drenched slice of paradise.”

So, if you find yourself craving a burger at Bob’s, don’t worry about converting your Cambodian notes beforehand. Just bring your appetite and a sense of humour, because, as Bob’s viral fame proves, sometimes the best tips are the ones that come with a story.

Dr. Rahim Said is a human behaviourist and regular contributor on digital media platforms. He is a professional management consultant, a corporate trainer and an executive coach specialising in coaching of senior executives and individual entrepreneurs to modify their behaviour in the pursuit of their cherished missions. (The views expressed by our columnist are entirely his own)

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