Preacher slams Malaysian media for misquoting the king’s remarks on national language
A Malaysian preacher has criticised a Chinese-language media outlet for allegedly misquoting the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s remarks on the national language, warning that misleading headlines could incite public anger and disrespect toward the monarchy.
- The King stressed that education must align with the national policy based on Bahasa Malaysia.
- A media outlet was accused of misquoting the King’s remarks, altering the meaning of his statement.
- Preacher Firdaus Wong said he would file a police report, warning against provocation and misinformation.
MALAYSIA: During the opening of the 2026 Parliament session on 19 January 2026, Malaysian King, Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim, emphasised that any new education system must be in line with the national education policy, which is founded on Bahasa Malaysia (BM) as the national language.
His Majesty also remarked that Malaysians who refuse to accept Bahasa Malaysia as the national language within the education system should consider leaving the country.
Following the royal address, a local Chinese-language media outlet， China Press, reported that the King had allegedly said, “If you don’t know Malay, don’t live in Malaysia.” (不懂马来语，别住大马)
The wording quickly drew backlash, with critics arguing that the report misrepresented His Majesty’s actual remarks.
Preacher Calls Out ‘Misleading’ Translation
Malaysian Muslim preacher Firdaus Wong criticised the media outlet in a Facebook post, accusing it of showing disrespect to the King by altering the meaning of his statement.
“What the Yang di-Pertuan Agong actually said was, ‘If someone cannot accept the Malay language, it is better not to live in Malaysia,’” Firdaus wrote.
“But what they reported was, ‘If you don’t know Malay, don’t live in Malaysia.’ There is a huge difference between ‘not knowing’ and ‘not accepting.’”
Firdaus described the wording as misleading and questioned the intention behind the headline.
Concerns Over Provocation and Public Reaction
Firdaus warned that failing to take firm action against such reporting could embolden further provocations.
“What message is the media trying to send to its readers? Is it to incite anger and hatred toward the Yang di-Pertuan Agong?” he asked, noting that the outlet had also closed its comment section.
He added that the media later changed its thumbnail image, which he claimed only happened after he publicly criticised the report.
Police Report to Be Filed
Firdaus said he would be filing a police report at the Damansara Utama Police Station and urged others to do the same if they felt the report crossed the line.
“This kind of provocation cannot be allowed to continue,” he said.
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