Anger over Malaysian MP’s apology for Hitler tweet

KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysian Member of Parliament (MP) Bung Mokhtar Radin has stirred a new controversy with his apology over a widely-criticised tweet praising Adolf Hitler in Germany’s World Cup semi-final win that had led to Prime Minister Najib Razak chiding the ruling party lawmaker.

Mr Bung drew a flurry of criticism on social media with his tweet “Well done. Bravo. Long live Hitler’’ after Germany thrashed Brazil 7-1 on Tuesday.

The Sabah MP’s post also made headlines in Malaysia and international newspapers.

Under pressure over the posting, he had said he was commending the German team for fighting like Hitler.

Yesterday, he issued an apology on his Twitter account, saying he had “unintentionally said” something that hurt the feelings of the people in Germany. But he ended the post with a “Long live Bung” parting shot, prompting questions about the sincerity of his apology.

Mr Bung received a barrage of criticism on Twitter from users who were up in arms over the tone of his apology. “The ‘Long Live Bung’ seems to show he isn’t sincere at all,” said user @amadacharlie. User @terence7 decried the apology for being sarcastic, while @MeiLengChin questioned why Mr Bung had included the last phrase, The Star reported.

The Star also said Mr Bung had responded to rebukes by tweeting a picture with a caption telling his critics to be quiet and sending personal messages telling three of his Twitter detractors to “shut up”.

Mr Bung’s apology came after Mr Najib had also publicly censured him for his initial tweet, saying it was unacceptable and wrong.

“The comments made by Datuk Bung Mokhtar are unacceptable and wrong, and he will withdraw them,” Mr Najib said on Twitter yesterday.

“He does not speak for Malaysia or for ordinary Malaysians, who understand Europe’s tragic past and respect its modern unity. This should be a time of celebration for Germany, and we wish them all the best in the final,” he said.

Mr Bung’s original post had also been denounced by Germany’s Ambassador to Malaysia. Mr Holger Michael said on Wednesday he had objected to Mr Bung’s salute of Hitler in his praise for the country’s performance in the World Cup, saying the comparison was unacceptable.

In a statement emailed to The Malay Mail Online, Mr Michael said: “While we appreciate the admiration for the German football team, we strongly reject the unacceptable allusion to the fascist regime of Adolf Hitler.”

Mr Bung’s apology has also drawn scorn from several opposition lawmakers. Parti Islam SeMalaysia lawmaker Khalid Samad said although he hoped Mr Bung’s apology was sincere, he had his doubts and suggested that the United Malays National Organisation MP may have been forced to do so.

“I hope it is sincere, not just parroting his boss,” he said. “But I doubt if it is based on a real realisation of how stupid his original statement was.”

Selangor State Legislative Assembly Speaker Hannah Yeoh also doubted that Mr Bung was honest in his apology.

“A sincere apology should be accepted. But his sincerity in the apology ... is questionable,” she told The Malay Mail Online. Agencies