Utusan Malaysia today printed an apology to two DAP leaders, admitting that it had erred in its earlier report which alleged that an attempt to block the screening of local film “Tanda Putera” was meant to hide the rude actions of a party leader.
In a three-paragraph statement, Utusan Malaysia apologised to DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang over its “unintentional” error.
“The article that was published on page 13 on September 7, 2013 that is ‘Cuba sembunyi kebiadapan DAP’ is wrong and does not reflect what was meant by Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi,” the Malay-language daily said in the apology printed on the top portion of page 14 of today’s paper.
Utusan Malaysia had then cited Mohd Puad, an Umno supreme council member and former Batu Pahat MP, in its report.
“With this, Utusan Malaysia retracts that error in full and sincerely apologies to YAB Lim Guan Eng and YB Lim Kit Siang over the error that was unintentional and over any difficulties and pengaiban (embarassment) that could have been caused to YAB Lim Guan Eng and YB Lim Kit Siang because of the error,” it added.
On September 7, the Malay-language daily carried a report titled “Cuba sembunyi kebiadaban DAP” (Try to hide DAP’s rudeness).
The report claimed that Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng had attempted to block the screening of “Tanda Putera” in the state’s cinemas to allegedly hide the rude action of a DAP leader.
The DAP leader was identified by the report as Lim Kit Siang, which it said had allegedly urinated in front of the then Selangor mentri besar’s residence during the riots in May 13, 1969.
Lim had previously said that he was not present in Kuala Lumpur during the May 13 riots.
Yesterday, DAP chairman Karpal Singh said the party accepted Utusan Malaysia’s offer of apology and retraction, adding that it would have to be published in the same size and similar prominence as the September 7 report.
Karpal had said a legal suit will not be filed against Utusan Malaysia in view of the apology, but warned that DAP was making the gesture to the Umno-controlled paper for the “last time”.
Tanda Putera, which was released last month, had been criticised for its controversial depiction of the events surrounding the May 13 racial riots.
The film reportedly features the scene of an ethnic Chinese man urinating on a flagpole at the then-Selangor Mentri Besar’s residence.
But the film’s production company Pesona Pictures had also previously clarified that Lim Kit Siang was not featured in the film – themalaymailonline
