Umno Youth Demands Apology Over Malaysiakini Pig-Farming Photo Error

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 15 — Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Akmal Saleh has called for a formal apology from Malaysiakini's leadership at the Umno General Assemb...

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Umno Youth Demands Apology Over Malaysiakini Pig-Farming Photo Error
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 15 — Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Akmal Saleh has called for a formal apology from Malaysiakini's leadership at the Umno General Assembly following a controversial social media post. The incident involved a photo of pigs mistakenly paired with a caption about the Malay party's future direction, which Akmal described as "hurtful, saddening, and unacceptable." The caption, intended for an article on pig farming in Selangor, was incorrectly linked to a statement about Umno's 2026 assembly, sparking outrage among party members. In response to the blunder, Akmal emphasized that a mere social media apology was insufficient. He demanded that Malaysiakini's top executives appear in person at the assembly to apologise directly to Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and all delegates. "Therefore, I demand that, at this time, your boss be brought to the Umno General Assembly to apologise directly to the president and to the entire Umno assembly and its delegates," he stated. Malaysiakini has since issued a full apology, acknowledging the error as a "most regrettable" mistake and confirming that its editors will attend the assembly on Friday to offer a personal apology. The news portal attributed the incident to one of three "social media blunders" that occurred yesterday, involving incorrect text-and-image combinations. All erroneous posts have been removed, and an internal review is underway to prevent future occurrences. Executive editor RK Anand affirmed the outlet's commitment to accountability, stating, "at Malaysiakini, we believe it is our responsibility to acknowledge and take full ownership of it." Additionally, Malaysiakini clarified that it had contacted both Akmal and Zahid's office on Thursday night to extend apologies, underscoring its efforts to address the issue promptly and transparently.

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