“I got the message from both Najib and Muhyiddin. That they still want to defend Little Napoleons like Nik Ali. I thank them for the message.”
In the Bernama story, the chief minister was quoted as follows: ““I accept the message from the prime minister and deputy prime minister...I thank them for the message.”
Guan Eng says livid over ‘false reporting’ by Bernama
KUALA LUMPUR, July 24 — Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng attacked Bernama for “false reporting” today after the national news agency filed a story with an incomplete quote and suggesting that he had accepted in good faith a reproach from the prime minister and deputy prime minister.
“I am livid over the false reporting,” he told The Malaysian Insider.
The Malaysian Insider had published the story which was subsequently removed by Bernama from its wire service, and replaced with a revised copy at 3.12pm.
Bernama did not offer any explanation for why the story was replaced or for the mistakes.
According to Lim, he had told reporters, when asked about his ongoing spat with state development officer (SDO) Nik Ali Mat Yunus, that:
“I got the message from both Najib and Muhyiddin. That they still want to defend Little Napoleons like Nik Ali. I thank them for the message.”
In the Bernama story, the chief minister was quoted as follows: ““I accept the message from the prime minister and deputy prime minister...I thank them for the message.”
The Bernama story also claimed that Lim had “accepted in good faith the reproach from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin over his attack on state development officer (SDO) Nik Ali Mat Yunus.”
The replaced story had the following significant changes.
That Lim only received “a message” from the prime minister and his deputy.
The key text appears now as recounted by Lim in his press release.
And the headline has been reworded: “Lim says Federal government protecting ‘little napoleon’
The change is seen as an immediate response by Bernama following a strongly worded letter to them from Lim’s press secretary Cheong Yin Fan which stated: “For Bernama to twist this clear but simple response into Lim accepting in good faith the reproach from both Najib and Muhyiddin is dishonest and false.
“What is most shocking is the response from that Bernama reporter when I called her up to complain. She replied that she heard Lim Guan Eng clearly say “Little Napoleon” but had left that phrase out so that the story can come out.
“If she had reported what I said exactly the story would not come out. I told her firmly that we want a true statement and if that cannot be truthful then don’t publish the story.”
Cheong described Bernama’s actions as unprofessional and unfair, adding that it lend suspicions to the belief that “the mainstream media is out to get and frame up Lim Guan Eng by any means possible.”
