KUALA LUMPUR: Juvana actor Johan As’ari has apologised to Netizens for his recent tweet, which allegedly insulted Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
“I’m sorry if I offended Malaysians for that tweet, I didn’t mean to insult the Prime Minister. It was only a joke,” he said in a news report today.
Johan also said he had great respect for Dr Mahathir as a statesman, and admired his wisdom and intellect. However, he also gave credit to previous Prime Ministers including Datuk Seri Najib Razak for their contributions to nation-building.
Johan’s tweet on Monday said “cuba check rumah Tun, mesti banyak juga duit” (please check Tun’s house, I’m sure there’s a lot of money too”).
It appeared to be a “swipe” at on-going police investigations into the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal which saw policemen raid six premises around the federal capital and Putrajaya, including Najib’s former official residence.
Netizens slammed Johan for being disrespectful towards Dr Mahathir. Some called him “ungrateful” to Dr Mahathir, while others told him off for “seeking cheap publicity”.
Johan, who supports the former ruling coalition Barisan Nasional, said his tweet was a show of concern for the well-being of Najib and his family, and a call to Netizens not to pass judgement on the former leader.
“I’m supportive of the police and their investigations, but passing judgement on the former PM is a big ‘No!’,” he said, adding that an individual was innocent until proven otherwise.