A few days ago, amid the ongoing China-US trade war and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visits to Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia, American political commentator Bill O’Reilly went viral for his controversial comments.
O’Reilly claimed that President Xi is wasting his time because Southeast Asia is poor, insinuating that the Chinese President is engaging in something sneaky.
Understandably, his comments have not gone down well amongst Malaysians who criticised him. The issue has even captured the attention of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim who slammed O’Reilly for his comments, labeling the remark as both arrogant and ignorant.
Anwar said O’Reilly’s comment shows he doesn’t understand Southeast Asia’s current economic situation and reveals a narrow worldview shaped by racial bias and colonialist thinking.
“This is a blatant display of extreme arrogance by individuals who are, in fact, poorly informed and ignorant, believing that only their group or nation is successful.”
“In social sciences, this is known as a trapped mindset—a worldview shaped by imperialist attitudes that fosters xenophobia, racial prejudice, and Islamophobia,” he remarked to reporters after attending the Ministry of Finance’s Aidilfitri event.
What do you think of PMX’s remarks? Let us know in the comments.
