American conservative commentator Bill O’Reilly has reignited controversy by taking another jab at Malaysia, saying that Malaysians are “barely eating” in response to comments made by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
About a week ago, O’Reilly sparked backlash after mocking Malaysia in a segment on Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Southeast Asia visit.
At the time, O’Reilly claimed that “Malays don’t have money” and suggested that Malaysia wouldn’t be able to afford Chinese products.
‘Malaysia is mad at me’
Instead of backing down, O’Reilly addressed the criticism in a new video posted on his YouTube channel.
“Malaysia is mad at me,” he said, before offering context to his earlier remarks.
O’Reilly explained that Xi’s visit to Malaysia, Cambodia, and Vietnam aimed to secure better trade deals to offset tensions with the United States.
Chinese President Xi visited Malaysia, Cambodia and Vietnam to try and get better trade deals with them to offset the trade stuff in the USA.”
He explained that he had previously reported on Xi’s visit and then played a clip from his earlier video, where he claimed that Malaysians had “no money at all” and wouldn’t be able to support China economically, saying they “cannot help you” and “they’re not going to buy your stuff.”
Justified his claim by citing income stats
Acknowledging the offense his comments had caused, O’Reilly went on to justify his earlier remarks by pointing to income statistics, claiming that Malaysians earn significantly less than Americans.
He noted that Malaysia’s household per capita income stands at US$5,731 (RM25,067) a year, compared to the United States’ US$42,220 (RM184,712).
With a laugh, he added that earning “five grand a year” meant Malaysians were “barely eating.”
He ended his video with a sarcastic remark aimed at Prime Minister Anwar:
So, Prime Minister, I wish you the best. Malaysia is beautiful but complicated. We want you to succeed, but this ‘colonialist’ told the truth.”
O’Reilly’s response came after Anwar sharply rebuked him for his earlier remarks, where he called out the former for his ignorance and narrow worldview.
“This is a clear display of extreme arrogance by individuals who are, in fact, poorly informed, ignorant, and who believe that only their group or nation is successful.
“In social sciences, this is referred to as a trapped mindset, a worldview shaped by imperialist attitudes that foster xenophobia, racial prejudice and Islamophobia.”
Netizens’ reaction
Malaysian netizens immediately flooded the comment section, with many rebuking the US host with witty and funny remarks
Watch the full video here:
