KUALA LUMPUR // A Malaysian lawmaker has apologised for a tweet praising Adolf Hitler following Germany’s World Cup win over Brazil.
Prime Minister Najib Razak rebuked the politician for his “unacceptable” statement.
Bung Mokhtar Radin, who is with Mr Najib’s ruling United Malays National Organisation, congratulated Germany on Wednesday by posting on Twitter, “Well done... Bravo... Long Live Hitler”.
Mr Najib condemned Mr Bung’s comments as “unacceptable and wrong” in a statement on Thursday and ordered him to withdraw them.
“He does not speak for Malaysia, or for ordinary Malaysians, who understand Europe’s tragic past, and respect its modern unity,” Mr Najib said.
“This should be a time of celebration for Germany,” he added, wishing Germany “all the best” in the final against Argentina on Sunday.
Mr Bung also tweeted an apology on Thursday after defending his remarks earlier amid criticism.
“When Germany whacked Brazil, I unintentionally said something that hurt d feeling of d ppl in Germany. MY SINCEREST APPOLOGY. LONG LIVE BUNG..” he posted.
Germany thrashed Brazil 7-1, dealing the host nation the worst semi-final defeat in World Cup history.
Germany’s ambassador to Malaysia, Holger Michael, said on Wednesday that the embassy rejected the comments.
In a statement, the German ambassador said: “While we appreciate the admiration for the German football team, we strongly reject the unacceptable allusion to the fascist regime of Adolf Hitler”.
Mr Bung is a controversial politician in Malaysia, frequently drawing condemnation from women’s groups and rights activists in the past for statements deemed offensive and insensitive.
* Agence France-Presse