The OkLetsGo (OLG) podcast has come under intense scrutiny in Singapore this past weekend.

The popular podcast is hosted by three former Mediacorp radio deejays, Dzar Ismail, 34, Dyn Norahim, 38, and Raja Razie, 38.

However, they have received a lot of flak for their lewd and disrespectful comments towards women.

The backlash has snowballed to the extent that President Halimah Yacob and the Mufti of Singapore, Nazirudin Mohd Nasir, have responded to the controversy.

In light of the backlash, Dzar posted an apology on June 15 on his Facebook page on behalf of the three hosts.

This apology proper came after two false starts: An earlier social media post that said the trio were still learning and digesting what was happening and a podcast put up earlier on June 15 that remained adamant that the hosts will not be changing format.

Apologised for the hurt they caused

In his apology, Dzar said that he and his co-hosts have read Halimah's statement and added that others have also reached out to them to express their concerns.

He subsequently apologised that it has taken "this long" for them to realise the hurt they have caused.

"We reflected on this more, and we are truly sorry it took us this long to realize the extent of hurt that we have caused. Thank you, Madam President and respected individuals/groups for amplifying the voices of those who have been hurting, and we take this opportunity to sincerely apologize to all our listeners who we have hurt with our words and content."

He then admitted that they are still learning about the mistakes they've made as they come from an industry that "has peddled in these norms for a very long time".

Dzar added that they will now reflect and tweak their approach to not cause offence to any particular group within and beyond the Malay community.

"The growth of our channel has made clear that we have a responsibility towards our community, and not only specific segments of it," he said.

"We do not condone misogyny"

Towards the end of the post, Dzar wrote that they do not condone misogyny, despite the claims of belittling women that have been made against them.

Dzar wrote:

"We want to make clear that we do not condone misogyny in any way. Violence against women in all forms have existed for the longest time, and in many parts of society. But we can learn to undo it, and play a part in ensuring it does not go any further. We apologize for the objectification of women and will be more careful in the way we portray matters moving forward."

Dzar then thanked OLG fans for sticking by their side, and asked them not to attack anyone who have criticised the podcast.

"We can be better, we have to be better, and we promise we will be better together as a community," he stated.

You can read Dzar's full post here:

Uploaded new episode on June 15

Before the apology was posted and before comments were made by the president and Mufti, the hosts uploaded a short but new podcast episode on Monday (June 15) morning.

The episode was accompanied by the description: "To whomever it may concern, this is for you."

Dzar was the only one who spoke throughout the 10-minute episode, although the other two chimed in a few times.

"We are not mainstream media"

Dzar started off by addressing the misogynistic claims that have circulated online, but his reply appeared to be defensive, rather than apologetic.

He said:

"We are not mainstream media. For the longest time, longest being about 1.5 years lah, I mean that's our existence what. People have loved us for who we are, the flavour we give, the stage personas we present. In our live shows, it's evident. In our podcast, in our livestream shows, it is seen."

He added that their podcast is "not a perfect product" and that they are "still learning".

While Dzar acknowledged that the podcast will not please everyone as listeners come from different backgrounds, he also said: "If you were to look and nitpick certain content that you hear, there will be some things that rub you off differently."

Claims OLG empowers women instead

Dzar went on to claim that the podcast never intended to degrade women or offend anyone specifically.

In fact, he stated that their podcast has empowered women and made them "more appreciative" of the women in their lives.

He said that during Ramadan, they had used money out of their own reserves to buy milk and diapers for single mums.

He also listed some guests they have interviewed, including a sex worker, a transgender, and an ex-Muslim.

Such profiles that the podcast featured will not appear on mainstream media, Dzar claimed.

Dzar explained:

"We are not mainstream. It's meant to push boundaries and it's not meant to be taken seriously... Look at it objectively, we've daughters, we've wives, we've mothers, and we are proud of them.

We acknowledge that the language we use is out of the ordinary. But this in truth and in fact, this is actually consistent with our flavour. This is our flavour.

Our show is maturing. The quality of guests that we bring in has skyrocketed. We are bringing in real people with real life experiences to share with our listener base. I can assure you, this is never going to f***ing change."

He also shared that he believes this is a "co-ordinated attack" on the podcast, which has since acquired a significant fan base.

Asks fans of podcast not to engage in hate comments

Towards the end of the episode, all three hosts implored their "loyal listeners" to not engage in hate comments anymore.

This call for a truce likely occurred as many social media users have documented the protracted attacks sustained by women in the comments section of online posts calling out OLG's behaviour.

OLG acknowledged in the podcast that their fans are affected by the controversy, but added that they are "just as affected":

"We will move on to better content, better podcast and better projects. Don't have to slam any other hate comments. Just chill, just relax."

Dzar ended off the episode by saying: "Rest assured, we will never stop doing what we do best."

Mothership has reached out to OLG for comment.

People are still not satisfied

To alert listeners to their latest episode, OLG posted an Instagram post with the caption: "To whomever it may concern, this is for you."

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBbphRWhk8W/

This was put up several hours before Dzar's formal apology.

The comments section was quickly filled with criticism.

A number of people were not satisfied with OLG's response, with a few demanding they apologise.

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Top images from Dzar Ismail/FB & OkLetsGo/FB.