DAP's Kit Siang gets apology over Tanda Putera Facebook slur

PETALING JAYA: The owners of the official Tanda Putera Facebook page, Messrs Pesona Pictures Sdn Bhd, have apologised to DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang for linking him to a urinating scene in the movie.

"We, Messrs Pesona Pictures Sdn Bhd, unreservedly apologise to Mr Lim Kit Siang for the embarrassment caused by the above-mentioned publication, which is devoid of truth," they said.

Last year, the administrator of the page had uploaded a photograph of Lim being manhandled with the caption of him urinating at the flagpole of the flag of the then Selangor Mentri Besar Harun Idris' residence.

"YB Mr Lim Kit Siang had concluded in his blog some months ago that the photograph and caption had originated from us. We have categorically denied this inference and forwarded an explanation to YB Lim Kit Siang with respect to the unfortunate circumstances leading to and the inadvertence in the publishing of the impugned photograph and caption," they said.

They added that the photograph and accompanying caption made its way to the official Facebook account via a subscriber's comment attaching a link to another blog.

"One of the administrators of our Facebook account opened the link provided and found the impugned photograph and its caption. Innocently believing the same to be in some manner relevant to the movie Tanda Putera, he proceeded to copy and save it to the Facebook photo album. The publication thereof was purely an inadvertence, without any malice or bad faith intended," they said.

They, however, said that they stood by the content of the film.

"Mr Lim Kit Siang was not featured anywhere in the film. This was made known to YB in 2012," they said.

Directed by Datuk Shuhaimi Baba, the film depicts events during the May 13, 1969 riots, focusing on Malaysia's second Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak Hussein and his deputy Tun Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman.

The movie has been termed controversial by many for allegedly portraying minorities in bad light, with some claiming that it did nothing for national integration.

Produced in 2011 by Persona Pictures Sdn Bhd, the RM4mil film carries a PG13 rating and was supposed to be screened from Nov 15 last year. It finally opened in cinemas last month.