An insurance commercial in Hong Kong featuring a Filipina maid depicted by a male Chinese actor caused online outrage in the former British colony, Hong Kong, with some of them calling for an apology.
Watch the ad video of Hong Kong Insurance:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8jMFlJN77I
The insurance commercial was aimed at the employers of Hong Kong’s 300,000 maids, most of them coming from the Philippines and Indonesia. The ad video features a Chinese man playing the role of Maria, a clumsy maid wearing dark make-up and curly wig.
The advertisement was made available for Malaysia’s Hong Leong Bank, the company did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Although the bank did not made their official statement but they removed the link to the advertisement from its website.
Meanwhile various groups in Hong Kong think that the company should make a pubic apology. According to Eni Lestari, spokeswoman for the Asian Migrant’s Coordinating Body told that the AFP that he think the bank should make a public apology for the ads she described as “very racist.”
Some netizens also questioned why the bank did not hire someone from Indonesia or the Philippines to play the role of the maid which was depicted by a Chinese male actor. Although the ad was funny for the Hong Kong resident but actually racists for other countries.
