KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi told Malaysiakini to be fair in its reporting on Umno following the inaccurate graphics posted by the news portal on Wednesday.
The Umno president said its editors met the party leadership yesterday to apologise over the matter.
“They came to apologise (to us), two of them. My advice to them was to be fair to Umno. That’s all we are asking for,” Zahid told the New Straits Times on the sidelines of the Umno General Assembly.
The meeting followed the erroneous graphics posted on the portal’s social media platforms, where headlines did not match the images or captions used.
Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh said Malaysiakini executive editor R.K. Anand met Zahid, Umno secretary-general Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki and himself during the meeting.
“During the meeting, an apology and explanation were given. We conveyed in very firm terms our deep disappointment over what had happened, and Malaysiakini apologised and assured us that it would not recur,” he said in a Facebook post.
Akmal also warned Malaysiakini against repeating the mistake, stressing that the party would not be lenient if a similar incident occurred again.
“Although we were hurt, I want to say this to Malaysiakini: had it been left to me alone earlier, perhaps nothing could have been done. Thankfully, the matter was brought to the president, who has a big heart and chose to forgive.
“So, I thank Malaysiakini for having a big heart to come to the Umno General Assembly to apologise. But do not think that because we were lenient this time, you can step on us again. If it happens again, we will not forgive,” he said.
On Thursday, Umno Youth gave Malaysiakini 24 hours to issue a public apology in person over the mistakes in their graphics.
Two of the graphics erroneously reused the headline of a Bahasa Malaysia article about the Umno General Assembly determining the party’s direction within the government.
Another graphics overlaid the headline on an image of pigs at a farm, which was meant for a posting about the Selangor pig farming issue, as evidenced by the caption that was about pig farming in Tanjung Sepat.
The news portal said it had contacted Akmal on Wednesday to express its intention to apologise to party leaders in person.
This was before Akmal posted a social media video demanding that Malaysiakini make a formal in-person apology.
Malaysiakini had earlier also reached out to Zahid’s office to apologise.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
