S'porean couple surprised to receive praise and go viral for clearing tables in Malaysia cafe, says it's 'second nature' to them

[The_King]

SINGAPORE — When Ms Grace Ke, 32, and Mr Joshua Kho, 37, found out from friends and family that they were featured in a viral TikTok video for clearing their trays and crockery at a Malaysian cafe, the couple was bewildered that their actions had generated such a buzz in the first place.

For Ms Ke, a Singaporean freelance designer, it was simply no big deal for her and her husband to clean up after themselves and help the cafe's staff members clear the soiled utensils on the adjacent table.

 

Little did they expect that their actions would make them overnight stars, after the Kopi and Kueh cafe in Port Dickson, Malaysia, put up the security camera footage of the couple on TikTok on Dec 6. 

The cafe had done so to show their appreciation to the couple, writing in the captions that they hope for more customers like Ms Ke and Mr Kho.

As of Dec 15, the video has garnered more than 93,600 views, with many social media users heaping praise on the duo for going the extra mile, saying that more diners should be like them.

 

 

In Singapore, diners have been required to clear their trays and crockery at hawker centres since September 2021, and at coffee shops and food courts since January 2022. Failing to do so could attract a warning or a fine.

Seeking to downplay her deeds as what any regular person would do, Ms Ke said jokingly to TODAY a week after the incident that if she were ever to be in the limelight, it would have to be something "more meaningful" than clearing trays.

 

 

"I didn't expect to go viral for something that's just second nature," she said.

Ms Ke said she and her husband, who works in the IT industry, were on a four-day holiday in Port Dickson and had stopped at the cafe on Dec 6, the first day of the trip, for coffee.

At the cafe, she recalled spotting a sign put up by the cafe encouraging patrons to clean up after themselves. After their drinks, Ms Ke and Mr Kho duly returned their trays and crockery, which was something that the couple would do regardless of any house rules or state laws.

Kopi Kueh Port Dickson/TikTok Mr Joshua Kho Liang Wei, 37, and Ms Grace Ke Xiao’en, 32, received praise online after clearing after themselves, and helping cafe staff clear another table's used cutlery.

She then noticed the uncleared table next to theirs. So, Ms Ke decided to help return the utensils as well, not realising that their actions were being filmed.

 

 

"(The patrons at that table) were a family with a child. You know how it's like for families with kids — it can be quite chaotic," she said.

"We decided to help clear up. No big deal," she added. The couple continued on with their holiday after that.

PARENTS EXTREMELY PROUD

The next day, Ms Ke and Mr Kho were bewildered to discover from their friends back in Singapore that they had gone viral and were surprised to see the amount of praise they got from netizens.

"Our football friends on Thursday sent us the video asking if it was us," Ms Ke recalled. "We ended up spending our whole holiday replying friends' and family members' messages with 'Yes, it is us in the TikTok video'."

While the couple are still puzzled by their sudden fame, their parents are extremely proud of them.

Ms Ke said her father has been sharing news article links about the viral TikTok video with his friends and family, while her mother has also taken it upon herself to defend her daughter against Facebook commenters who made mean remarks about Ms Ke's tattoos and appearance.

 

 

But Ms Ke said that her parents should be proud of themselves, since her instinctive actions that day were the result of her upbringing.

"My mum always told me from young to leave a place better than when we found it... Even before the fine was in place, we always cleared our trays when eating out," said Ms Ke.

Asked what her takeaways were from appearing in the viral TikTok video, Ms Ke said she hoped it would lead people to be more civic-minded and clean up after themselves.

The couple — who are fans of the Singapore Premier League — would often encounter trash left behind after watching live football matches every fortnight, she said.

"It's easier if we all clean up after ourselves, than if one person has to clean up for everyone," said Ms Ke.

[XianGe]

If the service good will encourage ppl to return the favor... But when forced ppl will dulan