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UMNO President Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has called on Malaysiakini to be fair in its reporting on the party, following the circulation of inaccurate graphics on the news portal’s social media platforms earlier this week.
Speaking to the New Straits Times on the sidelines of the UMNO General Assembly, Zahid said editors from Malaysiakini had met the party leadership yesterday to apologise for the errors.
“They came to apologise, two of them. My advice to them was to be fair to UMNO. That’s all we are asking for,” Zahid said.
The meeting followed a series of misaligned graphics in which headlines did not correspond to the images or captions used.
Two of the graphics mistakenly reused a Bahasa Malaysia headline about the UMNO General Assembly’s discussions on the party’s role in government, while another overlaid a headline on an image of pigs at a farm that was intended for a separate report on Selangor pig farming in Tanjung Sepat.
UMNO Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh confirmed that Malaysiakini executive editor R.K. Anand met with Zahid, UMNO secretary-general Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, and himself during the apology session.
“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,” Akmal wrote in a Facebook post.
He also issued a stern warning to the news portal against repeating the mistake. “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,” Akmal added.
Earlier, on Thursday, UMNO Youth had given Malaysiakini 24 hours to issue a public in-person apology. The portal had contacted Akmal on Wednesday expressing its intention to apologise to party leaders, prior to his social media video urging a formal personal apology. Malaysiakini had also reached out to Zahid’s office to convey its regrets. - January 17, 2026