Malaysia's national broadcaster apologises for misnaming Southeast Asian leaders during ASEAN Summit broadcast
Malaysian natioanl broadcaster RTM has apologised after misnaming the leaders of Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia during a live broadcast of the 47th ASEAN Summit’s opening ceremony on 26 October. The organisation said it has taken corrective action and will strengthen editorial oversight.
- Malaysian broadcaster RTM misidentified the leaders of Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia during a live broadcast of the 47th ASEAN Summit.
- RTM issued public apologies in Malay on Facebook, acknowledging the broadcast errors.
- The broadcaster pledged to tighten editorial checks and fact-verification measures.
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA: Malaysian public broadcaster Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) has issued formal apologies after it misidentified three Southeast Asian leaders during its live coverage of the 47th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit opening ceremony on 26 October 2025.
According to RTM’s official statements posted in Malay on its Facebook page, the errors involved the prime ministers of Singapore and Thailand, as well as the President of Indonesia.
RTM said that a commentator on the live broadcast mistakenly referred to Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong as Lee Hsien Loong, his predecessor.
Similarly, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul was misidentified as Srettha Thavisin, who left office in 2024.
The broadcaster described the incident as a serious lapse, stating: “RTM views this matter seriously and appropriate action has been taken.”
It added that the organisation has apologised to the affected leaders, their governments, and all parties involved.
Earlier on the same day, RTM released a separate apology for incorrectly naming Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto as Joko Widodo, who previously held the post.
That statement also expressed “deep regret” to the Indonesian government.
RTM said it would reinforce editorial control and strengthen fact-checking procedures to prevent future mistakes of this nature.
“RTM will continue to increase editorial control and fact-checking to ensure all information that is conveyed is accurate and has integrity,” it said in its statement.
The 47th ASEAN Summit, hosted in Malaysia, brought together leaders from across the region to discuss issues ranging from regional economic cooperation to climate resilience and security.
The event was widely covered by media outlets across Southeast Asia.
