'Insensitive' Malaysian ad under fire

Indonesia has formally protested to the Malaysian government over a vacuum cleaner ad it says is "utterly insensitive" to the hundreds of thousands of its citizens working as maids in the country.

The flap emerged just as Indonesian President Joko Widodo was to arrive later on Thursday for an official visit, his first since being elected last year.

The ad by the Malaysian distributor of RoboVac automatic vacuum cleaners declared "Fire your Indonesian maid now!" according to versions seen on social media.