Television network 8TV today issued its second apology for the Ramadan commercial it had briefly aired before pulling it out after a barrage of accusations that the advertisement was racist and perpetuated stereotypes.

One apology was issued yesterday to netizens, with the second taking shape this morning in a more official tone.

Quoting the Austrian philosopher Karl Popper, 8TV expressed the misfortune that had arisen as a result of its Ramadan Public Service Announcement (PSA).

"As the famous Austrian philosopher Karl Popper once said, "It is impossible to speak in such a way that you cannot be misunderstood" - and this is the unfortunate situation that has resulted from the  8TV Ramadan PSA.

“It is with much regret that there were misinterpretations in the PSA that were meant to serve only as a message of respect for the Ramadan month.

NONE“The message was not meant to offend anyone, race or creed in any way. This is an honest mistake involving a very small amount of humour that was misinterpreted which led to concerns.

“In view of this, 8TV has pulled out the PSA and apologises for any inconvenience or uneasiness caused,” said the network in a statement.

In one of the three commercials, the arms of a Chinese lady wearing a tight and sleeveless top were blurred as she walked through a Ramadan bazaar, boasting that she is “the centre of attention” amidst frowns by those around her.

The commercial then advised its viewers not to wear tight and revealing clothes, not to get carried away and to understand and respect the significance of Ramadan.

In a tweet yesterday in reaction to angry posts against the network, 8TV COO Ahmad Izham Omar told critics to 'chill' and not to “overthink”.

“Chill guys. Don't overthink the ads. It's written, produced and directed by a multi-racial team. If you overanalyse, anything will be bad,” he said.

An 8TV tweet yesterday said: “Hey people! 8TV has pulled out the Ramadan public service announcement (PSA) ads. We apologise for any inconvenience or uneasiness caused”. 

String of apologies

Later this evening, 8TV issued a third apology in less philosophical terms, going straight to an apology over the furor sparked by the commercial.

On the station’s Facebook page, it posted a lengthy apology for the commercial, giving its assurance that it would be “more careful and sensitive to the feelings of our fellow Malaysians” in all its productions, broadcasts and other “business collaterals”.

“8TV acknowledges the public concerns in regards to its recent Ramadan Public Service Announcement and would like to take this opportunity to humbly apologise if we have offended or caused any uneasiness to any parties,” the station said.

Meanwhile, Ahmad Izham extended his “sincere apologies” to the Chinese community, stating that the controversy was an “honest mistake”, in a message written in Chinese.

He explained that the commercial was made with the intention of using drama to provide a more “creative presentation” in presenting the “culture of respecting each other”.

Ahmad Izham said 8TV does not look down on the religious practices, culture or lifestyle of other races and has since ordered the commercial to be taken off air.

He also hoped that the Chinese community would accept his apology and pledged that such a gaffe would not be repeated in future.

'Less than impressed with Popper citation'

Reacting to the apology issued this morning, one ‘Jenifer Ng’ posted on 8TV’s Facebook page that she was less than impressed with the citation of Popper in defence of the gaffe.

“Your pretentious apology means nothing to us. Only the removal of all who are involved in the production to the approval of the PSA will. Show your sincerity. Remove them immediately,” said Ng.

Another commentator, Zack Yusof, noted 8TV’s statement did not denote regret for a mistake made as much regretting the lack of humour on the part of its viewers.

“For a channel that broadcasts so much Chinese shows, the stupidity and lack of foresight you guys showed in coming up with that crap was unbelievable. Terrible so-called apology too... very disappointing..”

Hopping on Ahmad Izham’s tweet, “Erik NapPro Tan” remarked sarcastically:

“This is a public service announcement: watching 8TV can be detrimental to your health... avoid it at all cost. It is advisable to 'chill' and read a book.”

 

While the 8TV video is no longer available on YouTube, blogger Patrick Teoh has posted a copy.