Malaysians, stung by claims that they are poor, have fired back at US political commentator Bill O’Reilly, criticising both his ignorance and America’s ill-treatment of its own people despite its relative wealth.
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O’Reilly, whose No Spin News channel on YouTube draws a loyal following among US conservatives, has been the target of Malaysian social media vitriol since last week when he said Malaysians “have no money” during a monologue lambasting Chinese President Xi Jinping’s tour of Southeast Asia.
On Thursday, he doubled down on his position by comparing what he said was Malaysia’s per capita income of US$5,731 to the average annual earnings of US$42,220 of each American worker.
“So, if you want to buy a little hat, and you’re only making five grand a year, you’re not going to buy it,” O’Reilly said in a segment posted to his channel.
“You’re not getting Chinese takeout either in Kuala Lumpur. You’re barely eating.”
O’Reilly was responding to criticism from Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who last week described the American’s rant as “imperialist”.
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