Japan Tsunami Cartoon made Malaysian Newspaper face Controversies

Illustrated in a Malaysian newspaper was the cartoon of Ultraman, a famous superhero icon of Japan, who is trying to run away from a huge tsunami behind him.

It was published Sunday by the Berita Harian newspaper and was created by Mohamad Zohri Sukimi.

Seeing the said caricature has made the Malaysians react with anger. Where those who have seen it made many complaints saying that it depicted insensitivity to what had happened to Japan especially knowing that almost 10,000 lives were taken by the devastating earthquake and tsunami.

Voices of the many critics rise on various social networking sites like the Twitter and Facebook that even some of its users were calling for a boycott of the paper.

Since then, the Malaysian newspaper issued an apology in the newspaper’s website saying that it had “no intention of making fun or to show insensitivity” about the m(–foul word(s) removed–)ive earthquake and tsunami which took away lives of thousands.

The Malay-language daily including the cartoonist felt sorry about the published Japan tsunami picture that in no intention have led to many controversies.

In connection, they have written and article of apology which consist of six paragraphs placing it into the newspaper’s front page and it was Monday that the issue went out.

Several phone calls were made by the readers as they raise their own interpretations to what they have seen. They have even made use of the social networking giants like leaving a comment on the Berita Harian Facebook account as they have also voiced out their complaints on Twitter regarding the seemingly controversial photo.

The Facebook page of the above mentioned newspaper had received a post from one of its reader saying that the cartoon was “shameful”.

A tweet from Khairy Jamaluddin of United Malays National Organization also came out saying that the caricature was being “totally insensitive towards the Japanese”.

Even people in the world of politics condemn the said picture.

There had been an online petition that was initiated by the opposition to protest regarding such controversial image published by the newspaper.

Despite all the negative views, still the Malaysian newspaper stands to be firm on their part that they do not have the intention to hurt the Japanese people for they themselves do also feel the grief and sorrow of Japan.