This article first appeared in Digital Edge, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on July 26, 2021 - August 1, 2021
Travelling has become a distant memory for most of us since being in lockdown for more than a year. That distinct airport smell, the echoey and incoherent airport announcements and even in-flight announcements are sorely missed.
In a bid to give people a taste of the travelling experience, Malaysia Airlines has initiated a teleprompter reading challenge on TikTok for its various in-flight announcements. The announcements come in four languages — English, Malay, Mandarin and Tamil. There are two sets of announcements, with one set read by pilots and the other by air stewards.
Many Malaysian TikTokers of all races have flocked to the challenge, myself included. Not only did it bring back fond memories of travelling, but it also proved that reading these announcements is not an easy task! You need to have a crisp and clear voice to enunciate each word. On top of that, you need to be a quick reader to keep up with the moving words on the teleprompter screen.
Videos on the account have garnered a lot of views, the most popular garnering 1.3 million views. Malaysia Airlines also reshared clips from those who did a good job of reading the in-flight announcements. Rest assured that people are now more appreciative of the work of our air stewards.
Adding to the nostalgia, the account has videos showing other flight elements, such as the seatbelt sign signal and the airline’s iconic announcement made after landing, welcoming Malaysians home: “Selamat pulang ke tanahair” (welcome home).
Do you think you are up for the challenge? Head on over to @malaysiaairlines on TikTok and duet the clip! But if you are looking to relive your in-flight and airport experience, visit the Malaysia Airlines YouTube page and listen to its autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) playlist called The Sounds of MH.
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