An academic has suggested that Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming should apologise for reprimanding a reporter at a press conference. UCSI University’s Tajuddin Rasdi said an apology could resolve what he called “a misunderstanding of intentions” and help move on from the issue.
The criticism came after Nga allegedly scolded an Utusan Malaysia reporter at the pre-launch of the “I Lite U” project in Kuala Lumpur, following a question about why the programme name was in English rather than Malay. Nga reportedly asked for the reporter’s media affiliation and warned he would “call your chief editors because this concerns national interests,” while defending the English name as a way to attract tourists for Visit Malaysia 2026 and make foreign visitors feel included.
Tajuddin added that both parties should reflect on the situation. He noted that the reporter could have considered the reasoning behind using English for promotional projects and questioned why the “I Lite U” name caused concern when English has been used in previous government initiatives.
“If these are accepted by the rakyat, why should the ‘I Lite U’ project be an issue?” he said, urging mutual understanding and discretion.
