While the New Straits Times' print version stopped with an unreserved apology over the cartoon imbroglio, its website however had more to say.

The online version of the front-page apology contains eight additional paragraphs which focused on a similar offence by state-owned TV2.

Commenting on issue that even RTM - the state-owned television and radio station - had showed the offensive caricatures of Prophet Muhammad during a news programme on Feb 3, the NST said:

"People might argue that CNN, an American station that showed the same clip but 'pixelled out' the caricature in respect for Muslim sensitivities, and RTM, being a television station in a Muslim country, should have been even more careful."

The 160-year-old newspaper, which forwarded a copy of that clip to the Internal Security Ministry last night, stated that it did this to "depict how, through human error, such things can get onto even the government's own news channel, which was managed by one of the country's most experienced journalists, Zainuddin Maidin himself, who was then deputy minister of information."

Zainuddin, or Zam as he is popularly known, was made information minister last Tuesday. The next day, he saw red over an unflattering commentary regarding his attempt to axe several key editors in NST , which he dismissed as 'rubbish'.

The commentary was penned by New Straits Times Group's (NSTP) editor advisor Kalimullah Hassan

When NST landed in trouble this week for publishing a comic strip related to the caricature crisis, not once but twice to explain its stand, Zainuddin was among the first to slam the newspaper.

Don't penalise Zam

Meanwhile, the NST online report titled 'We apologise, unreservedly' also stated that the information minister should not be held responsible for the RTM slip-up.

"It was not Zainuddin's fault. Should he, or his then colleague Donald Lim, or the then information minister Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir be penalised because they were, in effect, in charge of RTM at that pertinent time?

"No. We strongly believe they should not be penalised," it added.

But the fact is, the report said, human error happens. "RTM did not deliberately screen the caricature. They would be mad to do it."

"Neither did the NST deliberately publish what it deemed an inoffensive cartoon. The NST never intended to hurt any feelings," it added.