KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 3 — Utusan Malaysia today said it welcomed the apology from Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming over the recent incident involving one of its reporters, describing it as a positive step to close the matter.
In a statement, group editor of Media Mulia, the publisher of Utusan Malaysia, Mohamad Azlan Jaafar said the minister’s gesture ended the controversy and allowed all parties to continue their work without further distraction.
“Utusan Malaysia would like to thank the Housing and Local Government Minister for putting an end to this entire controversy,” read the statement.
“It is hoped that we can all learn something valuable from this incident,” Mohamad Azlan said, adding that the newspaper and its journalists merely carry out their duties without prejudice towards any party.
“That is the only way we can build a respected media institution,” he added.
Yesterday, Nga apologised and retracted remarks he made during the pre-launch of the Bukit Bintang’s I Lite U lighting initiative recently.
He said he accepts all feedback regarding his remarks during the programme and withdraws any statements that may have caused confusion or upset among members of the media.
Nga held an informal session with media representatives this morning where he emphasised that the government prioritised media freedom and had no intention of sidelining journalists.
