Malaysian MP lauds Hitler after German win
Following monumental World Cup victory, Bung Mokhtar Radin tweets praise for Nazi leader
Adiv Sterman is a breaking news editor at The Times of Israel.
Following Germany’s unprecedented, 7-1 World Cup semifinal clobbering of hosts Brazil on Tuesday, a Malaysian member of parliament thought it appropriate to let the entire internet know of his excitement by expressing his appreciation for none other than Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.
“Well Done, Bravo, Long Live Hitler,” Bung Mokhtar Radin, a United Malays National Organization party member, tweeted on his personal account.
But while Germany’s monumental victory will go down as one of the greatest moments of World Cup history, the Malaysian MP’s tweet, it is safe to say, will not.
Almost immediately after publishing the controversial statement, Bung Mokhtar came under fire from all directions, suffering one heavy blow after another — much like Brazil’s miserable defense in the match.
WELL DONE..BRAVO…LONG LIVE HITLER…
— Bung Moktar Radin (@MyKinabatangan) July 8, 2014
“Bung Mokhtar should know that if he was to say this in Germany, he could go to prison for supporting Nazism,” rival politician Lim Guan Eng observed.
Holger Michael, Germany’s ambassador to Malaysia, also condemned the tweet.
He said that the German people “strongly reject the unacceptable allusion to the fascist regime of Adolf Hitler.”
The Twitter-sphere itself reacted to Bung Mokhtar’s choice of adulatory words with the usual melange of insults and slurs.
Various users urged the “sick,” “tactless,” and “disgraceful” Malaysian representative to resign from parliament at once.
Bung Mokhtar followed up on his tweet with an apology Tuesday, though he directed it at the German nation, and not to those who suffered under Hitler’s Nazi regime.
“When Germany whacked Brazil, I unintentionally said something that hurt [the] feeling of ppl in Germany. My sincerest apology.” he wrote.
“Long live Bung,” the Malaysian MP added.
Bung Mokhtar has drawn condemnation in the past for statements deemed offensive and insensitive.
During a debate over a leaky parliament roof in 2007, he said: “Where is the leak? The Batu Gajah MP also leaks every month,” referring to an opposition lawmaker’s menstrual cycle.
AFP contributed to this report.
