MCI removes Raya video after netizen backlash about racial stereotypes

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The Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) has taken down its Hari Raya video following online backlash that the video stereotypes the Malay community. According to multiple media outlets, such as Channel NewsAsia and The Straits Times (ST), MCI removed the video to avoid controversy and argument during the festive period.

The video, titled Messages for Syawal, was uploaded onto Gov.sg's social media channels ahead of Hari Raya Puasa. The video featured a Malay family of three living in a rental flat. The father was portrayed as a mover and his wife as a housemaker. Their son Syawal is too embarrassed to invite his friends over when they ask. Eventually, Syawal learns of his family's financial difficulties and skips school to distribute fliers and earn extra money. Upon finding out about their son's actions, Syawal's mother decides to return to the workforce and his father takes on a new job.

The video also features Malay proverbs, as well as various government schemes, ST reported. These include the Uplift scheme to help students from lower-income backgrounds stay in school and grants to help rental flat tenants buy a HDB flat unit.

Some netizens pointed out that the video stereotyped Malays, CNA said. Netizens also said that the video suggests Malay families can only celebrate Hari Raya when they have achieved socio-economic stability through attaining home ownership or when both parents are working, CNA added. Other netizens also compared the Hari Raya video with Gov.sg's Lunar New Year video earlier this year, ST said, which took on a light-hearted and optimistic take on celebrating amidst the COVID-19 restrictions.

MCI explained that the video revolves around a family's journey of resilience in the face of challenges and how mutual support and encouragement could help the process, media outlets said. The ministry also acknowledged that "takeaways from any creative work is subjective", adding that while most Malay and Muslim viewers thought of the story to be heartwarming, some expressed reservations. MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to MCI for comment.

MCI was not the first to be called out for being culturally insensitive. Circles.Life Singapore was criticised by netizens for its "tone deaf" Instagram post last June, which read: "This post was designed by a Filipino. Copywritten by a Malay. Approved by a Chinese." The telco's trendjacking attempt came after a string of racist incidents in Singapore, including a woman being subjected to racial slurs and assaulted the month before while walking along Choa Chu Kang Drive, a woman questioning passengers about their ethnicity while filming them at the same time, and a Chinese man making racist remarks towards an interracial couple.

Separately, MCI recently appointed 108 agencies to its creative roster a year after the tender was published on 7 April 2021, according to Gebiz. The contract period will be for a year, with the option of extending up to two years. Under the contract, the vendors shall supply and deliver communications campaign servicing, development and execution/production services. They will be tasked with overall campaign coordination, conceptualisation, production and management of creative materials and services needed to communicate key messages for the campaigns. More than 160 agencies participated this time around.

Meanwhile, it also appointed 38 agencies to its whole of government media roster for 36 months with the option to extend by 24 months. The tender was first published last October and had three categories: master media agency, panel of media planning and buying agencies, and panel of content publishers. Starcom-led Publicis media solution has been reappointed as the master media agency and named to the panel of media planning and buying agencies. It was appointed in 2018 for the MCI account, then valued at SG$80 million.

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