Journalists Ask Ministers Answer It S Simple

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So the other day, Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming got snappy with a journalist.
You’ve probably seen the clip by now. He was talking about the new campaign called “I Lite U”. It’s a campaign about brightening up public spaces in Kuala Lumpur.
Then, during the press conference, a journalist from Utusan Malaysia asked him why the campaign name was in English and not in Bahasa Malaysia.
I thought it was a normal and reasonable question. Nobody shouted, nobody accused anyone of crimes. It was literally, “Why English?”
Nga replied that it was for tourism, something about global branding and how English is more internationally appealing, which, I thought, was a fair enough answer.
But then, things got snappy very fast. His tone shifted, his expression changed, and he said something along the lines of, “I can call your chief editor, you know.”
Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor MingNow, maybe he didn’t mean it as a threat. But it still sounded off. It’s like when a teacher says to you that she “will call your parents!”
When a minister says something like that to a journalist, it doesn’t sound like banter. And that’s when the fireworks started.
Swift escalation
The National Union of Journalists Malaysia (NUJM) and Gerakan Media Merdeka (Geramm) came out with statements.
While they didn’t mention names, they appeared to be referring to Nga’s response and called it intimidating and stifling of press freedom in the country.
Basically, ministers shouldn’t get to bully journalists just because they don’t like a question. And they’re right.
Here’s the thing. This whole debacle isn’t really about the campaign name being in English. Use whatever language you want. Call it “I Lite U” or “Saya Awak Terang”, it really isn’t a big deal.
That’s not what this is about. It’s about why a journalist can’t ask about it without being scolded.
The question is valid. In Malaysia, language is never that simple. It’s related to identity, politics, pride and even government policy.
So when a journalist asks why a public project has an English name, it’s a fair, logical question. You can disagree with it, but you still answer it. You don’t tell the person off and threaten to call their boss.
What is funny now is that the whole controversy has overshadowed the campaign itself. Now, nobody’s talking about the campaign for what it really is anymore.
Nga’s ministry later did put out a statement saying they do respect the media’s right to ask questions. They even said that journalists play an important role in democracy.
Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil also stepped in, saying that journalists are free to ask whatever they like, and that ministers should respond politely.
Matter could’ve been prevented
This could’ve been avoided very easily. If Nga had laughed and said, “Haha, we used English because tourists, mah!” the story would’ve died right there. In fact, if he had just left it at his initial answer, it would also have been okay,
In all honesty, journalists aren’t out to embarrass ministers. They’re not lurking in corners waiting to catch ministers with snarky questions. They just want clarity. They ask because Malaysians have a right to know.
If a minister can’t handle a question about language choice, how’s he going to handle questions about budgets and policies?
At the heart of it, it’s not about English versus Bahasa Malaysia. It’s about confidence because a confident government or ministry doesn’t need to threaten anyone. It explains, defends, jokes, and debates. It doesn’t get defensive.
If you’re a minister and a journalist asks a question you find silly or annoying, smile. Take a breath. Give a short answer. Maybe even tease them a bit, good-naturedly. But don’t turn it into a power play. Because the moment you do, you’ve lost the room.
If you’re a journalist, keep asking and pushing. Don’t let one awkward exchange make you shy away because the minute we stop asking questions, even the small ones, that’s when accountability starts slipping through the cracks.
Journalists are not subordinates. They don’t report to ministers. They report to the people. And if politicians can’t handle a harmless question about a campaign name, maybe they need a refresher on what public accountability actually means.
At the end of the day, this whole thing could’ve been so simple. A question, an answer and a smile. Instead, we got a lecture, a series of condemnations, and a press statement to try and fix the mess.
Ironically, nobody cares that it’s in English. What people care about is that a minister tried to make a journalist feel small for asking.
So the takeaway is that journalists have the right to ask, ministers have the duty to answer. No one should be calling anyone’s boss over it. - Mkini
ZAN AZLEE is a writer, documentary filmmaker, journalist and academic. Visit fatbidin.com to view his work.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.

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