'Business Week' apologizes to Mahathir

'Business Week' apologizes to Mahathir

MALAYSIA: The New York-based Business Week magazine has apologized to Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad after he accused it of sending him a "threatening" letter, Malaysia's official Bernama news agency reported on Wednesday.

The apology is contained in a letter from Business Week's New York-based managing editor, Robert Dowling, a copy of which was made available to the agency by the prime minister's press secretary, Zakaria Abdul Wahab.

"I am writing to apologize for any offense taken from a letter sent to you by our correspondent last week," Dowling was quoted as saying.

The letter was a last-minute attempt to give Mahathir time to comment on a story the magazine was doing about his legacy and the transition of power to his deputy, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, when he retires next month, Dowling said.

Mahathir said last week a correspondent for the magazine sent him a threatening letter after an attempt to gain an interview. -- AFP