A local Chinese-language media outlet has come under fire after posting a thumbnail image that allegedly contained a mistranslation of Yang di-Pertuan Agong (YDPA) Sultan Ibrahim’s remarks on the Bahasa Malaysia (BM) language during the opening of the 2026 Parliament session on 19 January (Monday).
The outlet later shared an image on its Facebook page quoting His Majesty as saying, “If you don’t know the Malay language, don’t live in Malaysia.” However, YDPA had actually said, “If someone cannot accept the Malay language, it is better not to live in Malaysia.”
“if you don’t know malay, don’t live in malaysia”
Chinese media issues public apology over misleading coverage of YDPA’s BM remarks
Following the report, Malaysian Muslim preacher Firdaus Wong criticised the media outlet for what he described as disrespect towards the King, saying the report misrepresented His Majesty’s actual remarks.
He also took issue with the wording used, calling it “misleading,” and subsequently lodged a police report against the media outlet as well as the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
Firdaus wong
The Chinese media outlet, China Press, has since broken its silence and issued a public apology, admitting to the mistake.
“We apologise for any confusion or misunderstanding caused by the inaccurate headline, especially as it involved an important speech by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong,” they wrote.
China Press also acknowledged that once the mistake was identified, immediate steps were taken to correct it.
“While reporting on the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s speech during the opening of the Parliamentary session, the original headline should have read, ‘If there are those who do not accept the Malay language, it is better for them not to live in Malaysia.’ However, it was mistakenly written otherwise and did not reflect the true meaning of His Majesty’s address.”
Before and after shots of the thumbnail posted by the local chinese media
MCMC probes the Chinese media over misleading coverage of YDPA’s speech
As previously reported, the MCMC has confirmed that it is investigating online content published by the Chinese media outlet, which is alleged to contain translation errors in His Majesty’s speech.
Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said the probe was launched following official complaints from members of the public.
“I urge the Malaysian Media Council, as an independent body, to step in, uphold journalistic ethics, promote responsible and accurate reporting, and act as a self-regulatory platform for handling media-related complaints in a professional and ethical manner,” he added.
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Also read: MCMC Probes Chinese Media for Alleged Misreporting of YDPA’s BM Remarks at Parliament Opening
