Malaysian MP sparks outrage with World Cup Hitler tweet

KUALA LUMPUR — The German ambassador to Malaysia has objected to a World Cup-related tweet made by a UMNO leader that compared the German football team to Hitler.

In a statement emailed to The Malay Mail Online, Mr Holger Michael said the embassy “strongly rejects” the reference made by Mr Bung Mokhtar Radin, a member of the ruling UMNO party’s supreme council.

Mr Bung had tweeted “Well done ... Bravo ... Long live Hitler ...” on his account @MyKinabatangan this morning (July 9) after the German team trounced Brazil 7-1 to advance to the finals.

“While we appreciate the admiration for the German football team, we strongly reject the unacceptable allusion to the fascist regime of Adolf Hitler,” Mr Michael said in his statment.

The tweet has since sparked a torrent of criticism online, with some calling Mr Bung “low-class” and “crazy”, and others calling the tweet “distasteful”.

Meanwhile, DAP chief Lim Guan Eng also expressed shock today over Mr Bung’s remarks and reprimanded the UMNO lawmaker for portraying the country as supportive of Nazi Germany.

“I hope the Prime Minister Seri Najib Razak would come out and disassociate from Nazism and scold Bung Moktar for his insensitive remark or else this may drive away foreign investors, especially from Germany,” Mr Lim said.

He also urged the prime minister to direct Mr Bung to withdraw and apologise for his remarks.

Mr Bung, who once called for the Internet to be censored, defended the statement as a “joke”. On Twitter, he told a Channel NewsAsia reporter that he was “referring to the strength of Germany’s football team” and how they had “humiliated Brazil”.

He also told one of his detractors to “get lost” and suggested another had mental problems.

This is not the first time Mr Bung has sparked controversy with his statements. In 2007, he caused outrage among women’s groups after referring to an MP’s menstruation cycle during a parliamentary debate.

Just last month, a Malaysian student lodged a police report against Mr Bung for allegedly racist remarks. AGENCIES