Shabery regrets vacuum cleaner advertisement degrading Indonesian workers

Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek on Sunday regretted a vacuum cleaner advertisement which degraded Indonesian workers.

He said the advertisement was irresponsible, racist, demeaning, and did not reflect the characteristics of Malaysians and the product should be boycotted.

"I regret and feel sad because such a thing should not have happened. The advertisement should be condemned by all as it was in bad taste," he said when commenting on the advertisement which read "Fire Your Indonesian Maid Now."

Shabery said such sarcasm was shameful and should not be made against other people, including the Indonesian workers.

The vacuum cleaner advertisement went viral on the eve of the official visit of Indonesian President Joko Widodo to Malaysia recently.

The advertisement drew protests and criticisms form many parties in the social media and the Indonesian Embassy in Malaysia had sent a protest note to the company concerned.

Earlier, Shabery attended the Indonesia-Malaysia Chief Editors Forum with several ASEAN countries organised by Ikatan Setiakawan Wartawan Malaysia-Indonesia (ISWAMI), here today.

Also present were Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) chairman Datuk Abdul Rahman Sulaiman, Bernama general manager Datuk Zulkefli Salleh and Bernama editor-in-chief Datuk Zakaria Abdul Wahab.