WATCH: Are Malaysians really racists?

Would you utter racist remarks if that meant easy money? If it meant landing that acting job?

Well, here’s a video that’s going to restore your faith in the multiracial gem that many of us know Malaysia to be. (Grab a tissue box now. Don’t say we didn’t warn you).

Shot by advertising agency Naga DDB and given to the Malay Mail Online after a client declined to run it as an ad for Merdeka Day, the video showed people of various races and age groups being called in for a short film ‘audition’. They had no idea that it was in fact a social experiment.

They were then told to utter a slew of racist remarks. Among them: “Malays are stupid”, “the Chinese are pendatang” and “Indians are smelly”. Right. 

But here’s when we started feeling all warm and misty-eyed. Instead of caving in for the RM5,000 and RM10,000 dangled in front of them, they reacted in disgust. “I would not say it, even if you give me a million (ringit),” said a woman in the video identified as Angela.

The big reveal is done later in the video. See how they reacted here:

The video became an instant viral sensation. According to the Malay Mail Online, the video has so far received a total of over 200,000 views on YouTube and the news portal’s own player.

But not everyone was convinced, though. Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin felt the video was not an accurate portrayal of reality.

“It’s a good effort, but when the camera is stuck to your face, I don’t know who will want to say the wrong things about other people,” the Umno Youth chief said, as reported in the Malay Mail Online today.