Malay daily Utusan Sarawak has attributed a blunder in a congratulatory message on Abdul Taib Mahmud's appointment as Sarawak governor to an "innocent human error".

In a full-page advertisement on page 10 of the paper's Monday edition, the word ‘Tahniah’ was spelt as ‘Tahinah’ .

“There’s nothing unusual about it other than an inadvertent typographical error,” editorial consultant William Chan was quoted as saying last night on The Star Online .

“It was an innocent human error with no hidden agenda whatsoever.”

He said he was shocked that the matter has been “blown out of proportion” and turned into a “national issue”.

The advertisement was placed by Taib's own party, Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu, which he heads.

Utusan Sarawak publisher Warta Distribution is owned by Sarawak Press, whose managing director is Taib’s daughter, Hanifah Hajar Taib-Alsree.

“We only came to know that it was turned into a ‘national issue of sorts’ when we saw it being played out by the online news portal,” Chan was quoted as saying.

He said Utusan Sarawak had explained the error to Hanifah and she had accepted this.

Taib stepped down on Feb 28 as chief minister after serving 33 years in the post, and as Balingian assemblyperson, to assume the post of governor.