Maybank Goes Viral As Sabah’s Most Unexpected Tourist Trap

Social media is home to the unexpected, and this couldn’t be more true in this piece of surprising news.

Over the weekend, a Maybank branch in Jalan Gaya, Kota Kinabalu went viral overnight as a tourist trap.

Originating from China’s popular social media app Xiaohongshu, sometimes referred to as “Chinese Instagram”, a Chinese influencer took a picture with the Maybank sign after its vibrant yellow colour attracted their attention.

The trend spread like wildfire across Xiaohongshu, forming a long queue of tourists and locals alike visiting the bank to recreate the picture.

Even the CEO of AirAsia, Tony Fernandes dropped by to take a video at the location. “I’m here to continue the virality and continue the viralness of this site, and anything that promotes Sabah is good for me,” he says in the video.

Kota Kinabalu’s own Member of Parliament Chan Foong Hin also visited Jalan Gaya to speak to some of the tourists and get a few pictures taken.

He shares in a Facebook post: “Although I couldn’t understand the trend, but seeing that our home place becoming so popular among the tourists, this reflects that Kota Kinabalu has rich tourism resources. Welcome everyone to KK!”