Fake photo: ‘Another case of chasing the ikan bilis’

The PKR Johor chief doubts a photographer would risk his job to doctor the photo of Najib Tun Razak, as implied by Bernama.

PETALING JAYA: Bernama’s claim that its photo of Najib Tun Razak was doctored at its point of origin will lead to another case of chasing the small fish and ignoring the big fish, Chua Jui Meng said today.

The PKR Johor chief said the national news agency had delayed admitting its guilt until pressure had mounted from the public, and even then, it had chosen to finger the source from where the photograph was sent rather than shoulder the blame.

“I doubt the doctoring was done by the photographer who would not be so stupid to put his job on the line because such doctoring can easily be detected,” Chua said in a scathing statement today.

“But he could have been pressured by his superiors to do so,” he said.

Yesterday, Bernama said an internal investigation showed the photograph of the prime minister in Pekan, Pahang, published in newspapers last Saturday was doctored.

“Initial checks revealed that the flawed picture was discovered at the source from where it was sent,” Bernama editor-in-chief Yong Soo Heong had said in a report.

Yong also said further investigations were ongoing to determine the motive of the person concerned and whether there were elements of sabotage.

“Do you expect Malaysians to believe Yong who was quick to dismiss the allegations when the picture was clearly doctored and then admitted guilt when pressure for the truth continued to mount?” Chua asked.

“Very few Malaysians, save for loyal BN supporters who are always giving blind support, believe that the doctoring of picture was the act of an individual out to sabotage the national news agency.”

He claimed that BN resorted to cover-ups and swept everything under the carpet whenever blunders and scandals erupted.

“Whatever, this is going to be another case of going after the ikan bilis [anchovy or small fish] instead of the big fish,” he said.

Doubts cast on Bernama’s sincerity

Chua also said the fact that Bernama had dragged its legs in admitting the photo was doctored cast doubts over the national news agency’s sincerity.

“The admission came only after a series of pictures were posted on the Internet that clearly showed the visuals were fakes,” said Chua.

“Yong was quick to deny the pictures were fake and that the news agency had no time to engage in such unethical work.”

Earlier this month, DAP’s Senator S Ramakrishnan claimed a photo from Bernama of the prime minister’s 2012 Aidilfitri open house was a “blatant lie” as it supposedly showed tens of thousands of people gathering at Najib’s residence.

But Yong had defended the photo’s authenticity, saying that as a “professional and responsible news organisation, Bernama had no time to indulge in “irrational endeavours”.

He had also invited Ramakrishnan to view the original photograph at Bernama’s headquarters to judge its authenticity for himself. But the senator had declined, demanding instead a YouTube video of the scene at the open house.

“When more of such pictures were posted on the Internet, Bernama buckled under mounting pressure and admitted guilt,” Chua said.

Hishammuddin, Rais must apologise

Chua also urged Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein and Information, Communications and Culture Minister Rais Yatim to apologise to Malaysians for the “national shame” brought on by the doctored photos.

“Bernama’s admission that its pictures were doctored has shamed Malaysia globally in the most unethical manner.

“It is the Barisan Nasional (BN) government’s national news agency and therefore the ministers linked to media affairs, namely Hishammuddin and Rais must apologise to Malaysians for the national shame,” he said.

Chua stressed that admitting the photograph was doctored was not enough, and that finding a scapegoat to take the rap would further shame Malaysia.

“They must start thinking out of the box and not resort to looking for scapegoats to cover up what was committed intentionally,” he said.