Is Bernama saying Najib photos tampered BUT NOT BY THEM!

Breaking its silence over the latest revelation that a picture it issued was doctored to boost the image of prime minister Najib Razak, the government-controlled national news agency Bernama has admitted that the picture had indeed been modified.

But its editor-in-chief Yong Soo Heong quickly distanced his organisation from the unethical act by claiming that the photograph - showing Najib greeting a large crowd at the UMNO division meeting in Pekan, Pahang - had been tampered at the source.

"Initial checks revealed that the flawed picture was discovered at the source from where it was sent," he was quoted as saying.

Yong, who prior to this denied earlier claims of similar picture-doctoring by Bernama by describing Najib as a "crowd-puller", said investigation was on-going to determine whether there had been sabotage.

"We are viewing this matter seriously and will not hesitate to take appropriate action against those responsible for the irregularities.

"Bernama always strives to maintain high standards of professionalism and takes a serious view of workplace integrity," said a statement by him.

Earlier, Harakahdaily cited a pro-Pakatan Rakyat blog, Milo Suam, which pointed out inconsistencies in the photo published by the online edition of UMNO's mouthpiece New Straits Times.

The blog circled several parts on the picture to show how images of the people in the crowd are repeated, in an apparent attempt to make the crowd look mammoth.

Bernama is no stranger to accusation that it tampered with photographs of government leaders greeting the public. In 1999, Harakah ran a report claiming that a photo of then prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad greeting the public in Perlis had been manipulated, but the news agency had issued a denial.

-Harakahdaily