Opposition apologizes for pig cartoon

Opposition apologizes for pig cartoon

MALAYSIA: Threatened with a government investigation, the fundamentalist Pan-Malaysia Islamic Party has publicly apologized for publishing an editorial cartoon likening Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad to a pig.

The cartoon, a split-panel that compared a pig to a caricature of Mahathir, enraged the prime minister's ruling United Malays National Organization on the eve of his final appearances at a party conference before he retires in Oct. after 22 years in power.

Rank-and-file members have called for the opposition Islamic party's twice monthly newspaper, Harakah, to be banned for publishing the cartoon. Pigs are considered unclean in Islam. The two parties compete for votes among Malaysia's majority ethnic Malay Muslims.

Harakah editor Zulkifli Sulong issued a two-paragraph statement on late Tuesday saying that the paper was "retracting a cartoon" and that "Harakah apologizes to any parties which found the cartoon offensive." It was unclear if the apology would be enough. --AP