A well-known Malaysian actress has apologised for comments made on a television show where she compared gossip about one of her relationships to the Prophet Mohammed's wife.

Rosnah Mat Aris apologised for her Jan 30 comments on live talk show 'Sensasi' (Sensation), which were followed by a decision from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission to stop live broadcasts of the show.

In the show, which features discussions with those in the arts and entertainment industry, Rosnah reportedly linked gossip about her relationship with a younger man to the Prophet's marriage to his first and older wife, Siti Khadijah.

"I realise that I made a mistake and I am truly apologising to everyone in the country. It is up to them to forgive me," Rosnah told the Star newspaper yesterday.

"I really did not mean what I said during the show, and if I had offended anyone with my harsh words, I am sorry. I did not mean to utter such words and I regret my actions," she added.

The commission has reportedly said the Jan 30 programme did not abide by licencing and content codes, and that the show's broadcaster, private station TV3, had failed to control inappropriate content.

No more live format

A spokeswoman for the commission also said TV3 would need approval from the Film Censorship Board to air pre-recorded versions of the weekly programme.

Rosnah's comments sparked numerous complaints from viewers and attracted the attention of Malaysia's Islamic authorities.

TV3 and a number of other Malaysian media outlets have been pulled up in the past year for content deemed insulting to Islam.

In March last year, TV3 and another private station, ntv7, issued apologies for inadvertently airing pictures of the controversial Danish cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed that sparked global protests.

Malaysia also closed down one newspaper in February 2006 for publishing the drawings, and then suspended another and forced a third to apologise after they published content related to the cartoons.