Malaysia’s foreign minister claps back at Tucker Carlson over Kamala Harris jibe

The ex-Fox News talk show host described Harris as a ‘Samoan-Malaysian low-IQ former California prosecutor’ in disparaging remarks on Sunday

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Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally in Michigan on Monday. Photo: Reuters

Published: 2:38pm, 30 Oct 2024Updated: 5:48pm, 30 Oct 2024

Malaysia’s Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan has taken to social media to respond to ex-Fox News talk show host Tucker Carlson, who incorrectly identified US presidential candidate Kamala Harris as Malaysian.

“Thank you for bringing this to our attention, Mr Carlson,” he said in a Facebook post on Wednesday.

“We were not aware that a Malaysian was running for the office of the US President. Should Puan Kamala win the race, we are delighted to invite her to #balikkampung and try some #nasigorengUSA.”

A screen grab of the Malaysian foreign minister’s Facebook post responding to Tucker Carlson’s disparaging remarks about Kamala Harris. Photo: Facebook/TokMatHasanN9

The Malay phrase balik kampung means “returning to one’s hometown” and often refers to the tradition of people going back to their ancestral or family homes, especially during festive seasons. Nasi goreng is a popular Malaysian dish that typically consists of cooked rice stir-fried with vegetables, proteins, spices and topped with a fried egg.

Carlson caused controversy at Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally on Sunday, by making disparaging remarks about Harris, misidentifying her heritage as “Samoan-Malaysian”.

As reported by The Daily Beast, Carlson aimed his comments at undermining Harris’ credibility as a Democratic nominee in the lead-up to this week’s pivotal US presidential election.

Tucker Carlson speaks at Trump’s campaign rally in Madison Square Garden on Sunday. Photo: AP

“It’s gonna be pretty hard for Democrats to look at us and say, ‘You know what? Kamala Harris, she got 85 million votes because she’s just so impressive,” Carson said at the Trump rally.