Aunty Takes M’sian Students’ Side After They Got Saman-ed For Selling Drinks From Their Car Boot

Aunty sides with Malaysian students after they get saman-ed


Many Malaysian students dabble in part-time jobs to earn some extra pocket money while they’re studying. Some will wait tables, work as event promoters, become retail shop assistants, and more.

A group of Malaysian students also decided to take the part-time route by starting their own beverage business. Cha Aroi Bang is a milk tea dessert supplier whose name has been circulating around Twitter recently due to their saman debacle that went viral.


Aunty rants out loud on behalf of Malaysian students


It all started when one of the guys behind Cha Aroi Bang, @iszlqrn, reposted a Tiktok video on his profile with a written caption in Malay. The caption read, “Today’s sad tale.”

The accompanying video showed how they were selling drinks out of their car boot in Shah Alam, which then prompted the MBSA to slap a fine on them. It would have just been an unfortunate event if not for an old aunty who took their side and ranted about it out loud.

Image credit: @iszlqrn

The post was uploaded on 10th October and has since amassed over a whopping 1.4 million views, 34,000 retweets, and 37,000 likes at the time of writing.

In the accompanying video, a group of policemen can be seen surrounding the students’ car and handing them an RM300 saman just half an hour after they had started operating. The video also stated that they had only managed to make RM75 worth of sales prior to the saman.


Image credit: @iszlqrn

The clip then cut to footage of an old aunty who was among the crowd of spectators and ranting out loud, clearly frustrated on their behalf.

The Tiktok video was made with subtitles, presumably to narrate what the aunty was saying. “Is it wrong for young people to operate small businesses to earn more money? I respect you guys for putting in the effort to earn money ethically,” the subtitles attributed to the aunty read.


Image credit: @iszlqrn


How to apply for licenses to avoid future samans


Granted, rules are rules, and permits and licenses are required to run a commercial business. Plus, running a business is tricky, as you need to follow regulations to avoid any fines, so proper documentation will actually help safeguard your hard work.


Image credit: The Malaysian Reserve

For those who are also looking to sell things out of your vehicle, here’s how you can go about it:

1. To register your business as a legal company, you need to apply for a SSM license (RM100)
2. Because your vehicle is involved in your business operations, you will also have to obtain a GDL – Goods Driving License (RM500)
3. Lastly, get a permit (RM1,080, renewable every 6 months) from your local council depending on which area you want to be based in. For example, those students would have to obtain a permit from the Shah Alam Municipal Council as they are selling items in Shah Alam.


Small businesses are commendable, but licenses are also necessary


It’s admirable that young Malaysians are experimenting with entrepreneurship, even more so as they’re students who already have their hands full with their studies. Regardless of the circumstances, it’s important to be aware of the laws to prevent avoidable fines.

Aspiring small business owners can take this time to read up and take all the necessary measures before going out there to earn some ringgit.

Keep up to date with other Malaysian business news here:


Cover image adapted from: @iszlqrn

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Amanda Looi: