Bernama says sorry to Guan Eng - The Star

PENANG: National news agency Bernama has apologised to Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng for the inappropriate inclusion of a paragraph as background in its news story on March 12.

The paragraph had mistakenly quoted Lim as commenting on the May 13 incident.

The apology was contained in a letter dated yesterday and signed by the national news agency’s editor-in-chief Yong Soo Heong.

“The inclusion of the fact was intended to give background on the establishment of the New Economic Policy in 1971.

“Nevertheless, upon a thorough review, the inclusion of that fact along with your quote may have been inappropriate,” Yong said in the letter sent to the Chief Minister’s office and sent by facsimile to newspapers here.

He assured Lim of Bernama’s co-operation with the new government, adding that Bernama shall always endeavour to help Lim promote the well being of Penang and its people.

Bernama had quoted Lim as saying that the NEP, which was introduced in 1971 after the May 13, 1969, racial riots to eradicate poverty and restructure society, was the source of “cronyism, corruption and inefficiency”.

[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/3/16/nation/20662988&sec=nation]