Chinese language daily China Press has apologised for misreporting Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar’s speech in Parliament yesterday.
The apology came amid an MCMC investigation into its Facebook post.
In its apology today, China Press conceded that its headline did not accurately convey the king’s message.
“We have immediately made a correction upon discovering the error.
“We sincerely apologise for any misunderstanding or distress caused by the inaccurate headline, especially as it pertains to an important speech by the monarch,” it said in a statement today.
Checks by Malaysiakini found that the errant graphic posted by China Press had been replaced with a new one at 1.38pm yesterday, about one-and-a-half hours after the initial Facebook post.
What Agong decreed
In his royal address at the opening of the 2026 parliamentary sitting, the Agong decreed that any education system introduced in Malaysia must be aligned with the national education policy, which is founded on the Malay language.
“If a new education system is to be introduced, it must be done in line with the national education policy, and Bahasa Malaysia must be the main language because it is the national language.
“Therefore, any proposal to recognise any other education system must accept the Malay language and Malaysian history. If there are those who do not accept the language, it would be better for them not to live in Malaysia,” he said.
According to Islamic preacher Firdaus Wong, who has lodged a police report over the matter, an earlier version of China Press’ Facebook post about the speech carried an inaccurate headline that reads “Agong: Don’t understand Malay, (then) don’t live in Malaysia”.
“What provocation is this? There is no acceptable excuse because there is a clear difference in meaning (between ‘rejecting Malay’ and ‘not understanding Malay’), even if they claimed their journalist is a UEC graduate and made a mistranslation because they don’t understand Malay,” Firdaus said.
He called for stern action against China Press for the alleged insolence against the Agong, including shutting down the Chinese language daily and shunning any political party or politician who comes to its defence.
After the correction, the new headline reads “Don’t accept Malay, (then) don’t live in Malaysia”.
CMA probe
Bernama quoted Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil saying that the investigation is being carried out under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, which criminalises the abuse of network facilities.
He said the investigation was prompted by an official complaint filed by a member of the public.
“If a police report is made by any party, that will be a separate matter and will be fully handled by the police in accordance with existing legal provisions,” he was quoted as saying.
The Bernama report also stated that Fahmi is urging the Malaysian Media Council to play its role in ensuring compliance with journalistic ethics, promote responsible and accurate reporting, and act as a self-regulatory platform to address complaints and media-related issues professionally and ethically.
“At the same time, the public is advised not to make excessive or defamatory comments, especially on social media, and to always respect the monarchy institution while allowing the legal process to take its course,” he added.
The MCMC later confirmed that an investigation is underway, and China Press has been summoned for questioning this evening.
It also urged members of the public to make complaints about online content through official channels, namely the MCMC’s complaints portal, to enable action to be taken based on facts and official processes. - Mkini
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