COMMUNICATIONS Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil has strongly rejected claims made by American conservative commentator Bill O’Reilly regarding household income statistics in the country, labelling them as inaccurate and misleading.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, Fahmi clarified that Malaysia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita for 2023 stood at USD11,379 (RM49,788), according to World Bank data.
When adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP), the figure rises to USD36,416 (RM159,350), placing Malaysia firmly within the upper-middle income category.
"According to the World Bank, Malaysia’s GDP per capita in 2023 was USD 11,379. When adjusted for purchasing power parity, the figure is USD 36,416 (RM159,350), placing Malaysia among upper-middle income countries," he stated.
O’Reilly had earlier criticised Malaysia by comparing household per capita incomes between Malaysia and the United States, claiming that Malaysians earned just USD5,731 (RM25,061) annually, while the figure for Americans stood at USD42,220 (RM184,628).
His remarks follow a previous controversy in which he described Southeast Asia as having “no money”, prompting Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to condemn the statement as arrogant and ignorant.
Anwar, who also serves as Finance Minister, said O’Reilly’s comments not only revealed a deep misunderstanding of the region’s current economic realities, but also reflected a narrow worldview shaped by racial and colonial biases. - April 25, 2025
