Sarawak Tribune’s Apology
We refer to the apology published by the Sarawak Tribune (ST) over the report on the death of Al Jazeera journalist, Anas Al-Sharif, which appeared in ST on 12th August 2025.
To describe it as a hollow apology is an understatement. It is as revolting as the conduct it is apologising for.
Nowhere in the so-called apology is an explicit retraction of its headline which trumpets and repeats the utter falsehood promoted by the Zionists that Al Sharif was a militant. The report was from a wire agency but the headline was entirely of ST’s making. ST is fully responsible for it. The headline was not even a correct representation of the wire agency’s report. Attempting to pass it off as an honest mistake is an insult to one’s intelligence.
To rub salt into the wound, in the same issue ST devoted almost a whole page to a report on Benjamin Netanyahu as if he was not the wanted war criminal responsible for the deaths of almost 250 journalists in Gaza, including Al Sharif’s. No mention of this in ST’s meaningless apology.
Those who would try to argue that a forced closure of a newspaper is an assault on press freedom should ask themselves whether a newspaper whose conduct has demonstrated that it is not in the least outraged by the wanton murder of journalists deserves the protection of freedom of the press.
BDS Malaysia therefore calls on the Home Ministry and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to close down the Sarawak Tribune. No right-minded person ought to shed a tear over such a step.
Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions Malaysia (BDS Malaysia)
14 August 2025