SHAH ALAM, Nov 1 — National Journalism Laureate Tan Sri Johan Jaaffar has called on Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming to apologise to a journalist and the wider media fraternity over his conduct at a recent press conference.
Johan described the minister’s behaviour as arrogant and not reflective of openness towards media practitioners.
“I regret the way Nga Kor Ming questioned a journalist’s inquiry during the announcement of the ‘I Lite U’ city lighting project. I urge him to apologise to the journalist involved and to the media community as a whole,” he said in a statement today.
Johan stressed that journalists have the right to ask any question, while it is a minister's duty to respond professionally and courteously.
"The manner in which he reacted to a simple and non-provocative question is deeply disappointing. He should also not have threatened to contact the journalist's chief editor."
Johan said such actions would only worsen the government’s relationship with the media and contradict the principle of openness championed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
“This kind of behaviour further contributes to the already weakening communication between the government and the media. Journalists should be appreciated and respected for their profession, not questioned or intimidated."
He also criticised the use of English for national campaigns such as “I Lite U”.
“As a former chairman of Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP), I cannot accept the justification for using an English expression in a national-level campaign.
“Simply brightening up the city in conjunction with Visit Malaysia Year 2026 does not require the phrase ‘I Lite U’,” he said.
The "I Lite U" project, led by Nga, is an urban decorative lighting initiative designed to enhance Kuala Lumpur’s nighttime identity as an international tourism city.
