Despite singer Umara Sinhawansa having made an apology over the incident of her mispronouncing a section of the national anthem while performing it during the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2023 opening ceremony, the Ministry of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Government is to continue with the related investigation.

The LPL 2023 opening ceremony kicked off on 30 July at 5:30 p.m. at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, and Sinhawansa performed the national anthem during it. The relevant video footage shows Sinhawansa singing the section 'Namo Namo Matha' as 'Namo Namo Mahatha', and the same has sparked controversy on social media platforms.

Against this backdrop, Sinhawansa made an apology over the incident on Wednesday (2). A post on her official Facebook page read: "As a Sri Lankan, I have always carried the Sri Lankan flag with great pride and have always strived to uplift the image of my country and have contributed to the best of my ability in numerous ways including singing. I love my motherland. I never intended to distort the words of the national anthem nor cause any sort of misrepresentation. I do understand the sentiments of my people. Therefore, I do extend my heartfelt and sincere apology to anyone that may have been affected or offended by my performance."

Since Sinhawansa has made an apology, The Daily Morning queried the Secretary to the Ministry Ranjith Asoka as to whether the investigation initiated by the Ministry regarding the incident would continue. In response, he said: "Making a mistake and apologising are two different matters. It is clear in the Constitution what the national anthem is. If one cannot sing it right, it is best for them not to sing it. Moreover, this is not a matter that affects an individual or the Ministry, but our nation. So, what she should do is to make a public statement and apologise. Anyway, apologising is a different matter, and our investigation will continue." Speaking further, he said: "One cannot distort the national anthem. We have a national duty to respect it. I have even seen foreigners singing our national anthem with respect. If they make a mistake, they can be forgiven as they don’t know our language.  However, as Sri Lankans, we have been singing the national anthem since our childhood. Even if it is played in a bus, the people stand up. That is how we respect it. For instance, we spend a large sum of money to train students to sing the national anthem at Independence day ceremonies. We are doing all that as it should be performed with respect. In such a situation, if it is sung like this during a cricket match, how regrettable it is."

"Sri Lanka Matha" is the national anthem of Sri Lanka. It was composed by the late Ananda Samarakoon, and was first performed at an official ceremony on 4 February 1949, at the Independence Square in Colombo during the first national day ceremony. The national anthem was given full constitutional recognition in the 1978 Constitution.