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A pet store in Penang, Malaysia, has caught the attention of social media users after a TikTok user posted a video about their awfully honest banner.

The video shows a banner at the front of the shop "Uncle Gold Fish" that reads "Don't know what to print, (the banner) is just to block the sunlight".

@nightraveller_Uncle orait x orait ni? Say dah la penat hadap jem ni♬ original sound - Mak kau green

The TikTok video, which was posted on Nov. 12, has since gone viral, garnering over 115,200 views and more than 11,600 "likes".

Subsequently, people from the shop also took notice of the viral video and shared it on their Facebook.

"Just write the truth"

Shop owner Kelvin Lim told Malay Mail that the sole reason for placing the banner at the front of his shop was just as stated -- to block the sunlight.

Lim said he asked his colleague about what to write on the banner and was told to "just write the truth", which was to shield the store from the sun, The Vibes reported.

He said he immediately ordered the banner "without thinking hard", and added that it was a "right decision".

According to Lim, the banner has been up since February. He has also received frequent questions from customers who were either confused or found the banner amusing.

Good marketing

Many commenters said it was "good marketing" for the shop, while others were entertained by the shop's "honesty".

"His objective has been fulfilled, good marketing".

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"Good marketing also... because people will make it viral and the shop gets to promote itself at a low cost."

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"The most OP (overpowered) marketing of 2021."

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"Honesty level 9000."

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"So honest."

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Another TikTok user claimed that the poster was designed that way to avoid being fined.

"Because normally you'd need a permit to put up a banner. So to avoid being fined, he wrote it this way to prevent any trouble in the future."

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Shop's name has "special meaning" in Cantonese

Meanwhile, some netizens also pointed out that the shop's Chinese name can mean something else.

The word "uncle goldfish" or "goldfish guy" is slang in Cantonese for paedophiles, and is said to have come from paedophiles who would lure children with the promise of buying goldfish for them.

"The name "Uncle Gold Fish" is even better, because it has a special meaning in Cantonese."

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"Hahah, actually, the name of the shop means "uncle pervert", you know? Hahaha."

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Top image via Google Streetview & @nightraveller_/TikTok