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By Mihar Dias October 2025
If ASEAN summits are meant to showcase unity, diplomacy, and regional maturity, then RTM’s broadcast of this year’s opening ceremony was more a lesson in nostalgia than accuracy.
In what can only be described as a time-travel slip, the national broadcaster proudly introduced Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo—who, in case anyone missed the news, is now enjoying post-presidential life—while the man actually waving on screen was President Prabowo Subianto. https://newswav.com/A2510_TzqI13?s=A_rcsLAJY&language=en
The Department of Broadcasting Malaysia has since apologised, citing an “error by the broadcast commentator” and promising “appropriate action.” https://newswav.com/A2510_TzqI13?s=A_rcsLAJY&language=en
But viewers were quick to notice that this wasn’t a one-off.
The same broadcast reportedly got the names of Singapore’s and Thailand’s new leaders wrong as well—Lawrence Wong somehow morphed back into Lee Hsien Loong, and Thailand’s Anutin Charnvirakul was overshadowed by memories of Srettha Thavisin. https://newswav.com/A2510_TzqI13?s=A_rcsLAJY&language=en
It’s as if RTM was broadcasting live from an archive.
To their credit, RTM didn’t blame AI or a rogue autocue (though that would have been a trendier excuse).
Instead, the department solemnly vowed to “strengthen editorial control and fact-checking.” https://newswav.com/A2510_TzqI13?s=A_rcsLAJY&language=en
One would think that confirming the names of sitting ASEAN leaders—especially at Malaysia’s own Chairmanship year—should be a bare minimum for national television, not an aspirational goal.
Let’s be honest: these errors are more than just embarrassing; they’re symbolic. Malaysia, hosting the 47th ASEAN Summit under the theme “Inclusivity and Sustainability,” can’t afford to appear sloppy in front of its regional peers and global guests like UN Secretary-General António Guterres and European Council President António Costa. Misnaming world leaders doesn’t exactly scream “credibility” or “preparedness.”
More troubling, though, is what this says about our state broadcasting culture. RTM, with decades of institutional memory and taxpayer funding, has long positioned itself as a bastion of national pride.
Yet here it was, tripping over the most basic of broadcast duties: getting people’s names right. If a commentator can’t tell Prabowo from Jokowi—or Wong from Lee—what does that say about internal training, supervision, and editorial oversight?
Some may shrug it off as human error. But when these “human errors” happen at the highest-profile regional event of the year, in front of the entire ASEAN press corps, they become national errors.
And when the Prime Minister himself, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, is chairing the summit, it’s not a good look for Malaysia’s communication machinery to be out of sync with reality.
RTM promises reform—again. We’ve heard that before, usually after similar gaffes. Perhaps what’s needed is less bureaucracy and more professionalism: commentators who are properly briefed, producers who double-check facts, and editors who understand that ASEAN has moved on from 2018.
After all, while ASEAN leaders are busy talking about the future—digital economy, climate resilience, and sustainable cooperation—RTM seems stuck in a rerun.
At least now, with Prabowo, Wong, and Anutin firmly in office, perhaps RTM can catch up. Or better yet, maybe next year they’ll rehearse not just the script, but the timeline.
Because if Malaysia wants to lead ASEAN in 2025 under the banner of “Inclusivity and Sustainability,” the least we can do is make sure our broadcasters aren’t still living in the past.
Acknowledgement: Information from Bernama.
Mihar Dias (mihardias@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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