Malaysiakini has obtained a copy of the footage where state-owned RTM's TV2 had aired images of the controversial caricatures of Prophet Muhammad during a news programme early this month.

The three-minute video-clip revealed that on Feb 3, TV2' s Mandarin news programme at 8pm had zoomed in twice on the images of the caricatures deemed blasphemous by Muslims.

It showed a reader holding a Spanish-language newspaper, which had reproduced two of the caricatures, and when the camera zoomed in for approximately five seconds, the images were clearly visible. However, the captions accompanying them could not be read.

One of the caricatures showed the Prophet talking to God and another where he is flanked by two veiled women.

The images were aired during the foreign news segment, where it was reported that Norway and France were attempting to pacify the Muslim world through diplomatic channels after newspapers from both countries had reprinted the caricatures.

The original cartoons was published by Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten last September.

The report added that one of the French newspapers had sacked the editor responsible for reproducing the images. It was at this juncture that the camera zoomed in.

Close-ups

The first close-up lasted about six seconds accompanied with a sound-bite that stated "Islam prohibited the portrayal of the Prophet but Denmark, France, Italy and Spain had reproduced the images".

The camera then zoomed in again for another six seconds, with the report explaining that one of the 12 caricatures had showed the Prophet wearing a turban shaped like a dynamite.

Also aired was a clip of Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen being interviewed by an Arab television station where he stressed that his government had not meant to insult Muslims and that it respected all religions.

At this point, the caricatures were shown once again, without any close-ups, for about four seconds.

TV2 may not be the only television station running the footage, which came from wire service APTN. Another government-owned station, TV1's 'Warta Pagi' - a Malay-language news programme - is believed to have also run the clip at 7am on the same day.

A source in RTM told malaysiakini that most foreign items in TV2's Mandarin news were usually a translation of TV1's Malay-language programme which appeared earlier in the day.

NST off the hook

Yesterday, malaysiakini reported that TV2 , which falls under the purview of the Information Ministry, could be the next media organisation to land into hot soup over this issue.

The New Straits Times , which became embroiled in a controversy for publishing a comic strip related to the caricatures, reported today that it had handed over a recording of the TV2 clip to the Internal Security Ministry.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his deputy Najib Abdul Razak confirmed that the matter was being investigated.

The government has since slapped an indefinite suspension on the Sarawak Tribune and a two-week suspension on Chinese newspaper Guangming Daily for reproducing the caricatures.

However, no action will be taken against New Straits Times as the cartoon it published earlier this week was not one of the 12 cartoons depicting the Prophet.