State-owned public broadcaster RTM has once again found itself in the spotlight for the wrong reasons — this time for a series of glaring on-air mistakes during its live coverage of the 47th ASEAN Summit.
During the broadcast, RTM’s commentator mistakenly referred to Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong as Lee Hsien Loong, his predecessor who handed over the reins earlier this year. To make matters worse, Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul was incorrectly identified as Srettha Thavisin, the former premier.
This latest slip-up comes shortly after RTM had to apologise for another error earlier in the day — wrongly naming Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto as Joko Widodo.
In a statement, the Department of Broadcasting Malaysia said the commentator had “mistakenly identified Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto as Joko Widodo” during the live telecast of the opening ceremony.
“RTM hereby apologises to President Prabowo, the Indonesian government and all parties affected by this mistake,” the department said, adding that immediate corrective action had been taken.
The broadcaster, which operates under the Ministry of Communications, said it would strengthen editorial oversight and fact-checking processes to ensure accuracy and credibility in future broadcasts.
However, given RTM’s long-standing experience and the magnitude of the event, observers say such repeated blunders are unacceptable — especially during a high-profile regional summit where Malaysia’s professionalism and credibility are on display.
With the full machinery of the government at its disposal, the mistakes raise serious questions about accountability and editorial discipline within the national broadcaster. The stakes, as many would agree, are simply too high for such monumental errors.
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