Local Woman Threatens Lawsuit Against Starbucks For Penning Her Name As ‘Babi’ On Her Cup

Outrage and dismay have been aired in response to a recent occurrence at the Starbucks outlet at Sunway Medical Centre where a patron found her name scribbled on her cup as a disparaging phrase. The incident has prompted a contentious discussion online among users, who all hold differing viewpoints on the subject.

Bavitra Ramachandran uploaded a Facebook post explaining the situation on May 15 in which she voiced her displeasure at the Starbucks employee for writing her name as “babi,” a term that, in essence, translates to “pig” in Malay and which we Malaysians all too frequently utilise as an insult.

Starbucks Malaysia and two of its branches, Starbucks Sunway Medical Centre and Starbucks Sunway Velocity Mall, were tagged by Bavitra in her caption, while she demanded that appropriate action be initiated.

Bavitra expressed frustration to Starbucks Malaysia directly, even suggesting that she might file a lawsuit against them. She thought it was unlikely that a Malay employee would be ignorant of the fact that “babi” could not be a plausible human name.

Netizens expressed a variety of viewpoints in Bavitra’s comment area, with some backing her plan to sue Starbucks Malaysia while others speculated that it might have been an idle prank or plain misunderstanding.

The staff had no right to disparage Bavitra’s name, regardless of whether they misheard it, according to one commenter who understood Bavitra’s wish to move forward with a lawsuit. People also began to speculate about the name Bavitra had given the staff, with many believing she had given the name “Bavi.”

Some suggested that the situation could have been avoided if Bavitra had not used the short form of her name, however, she clarified that her husband had even spelled it out explicitly to the staff.

For now, Bavitra Ramachandran’s discontent and request for action from Starbucks Malaysia continue to flare debate among internet users. As the issue unfolds, it remains to be seen how Starbucks Malaysia will respond to Bavitra’s concerns and address the incident in a manner that ensures customer satisfaction and upholds their commitment to inclusivity.

What do you think? Minor oversight or deliberate insult?