Kuala Lumpur: Malaysian authorities launched an investigation into a local newspaper in Chinese language on the publication of an incomplete illustration of the national flag on its first page which aroused public criticism and even a reprimand of the king.
Bukit Aman police have confirmed that a editor-in-chief and a chief sub-chief of Sin Chew Daily will be called to interrogation Thursday (April 17), New Straits Times (NST) reported.
“The surveys revealed that the editor-in-chief played a role in approving the image of the flag while the assistant subsequent is the graphic design illustrator involved in the production of the image,” said the Inspector General Razarudin Husain on Thursday.
In a statement on Wednesday, April 16, the Ministry of Internal Affairs said that the image of the Jalur Gemilang or the national flag on the first page of the newspaper on Tuesday had omitted the symbol of the Crescent de Moon which would be a serious series because it represents Islam as the religion of the Federation.
The illustration accompanied a report on State visit to Chinese President Xi Jinping in Malaysia this week.
“The law shows not only a lack of professionalism, but it could also disrupt harmony in our multiracial society,” said the ministry, quoted by Malay Mail.
He also confirmed that he had started to investigate the case under two laws – the 1963 law on emblems and names (prevention of inappropriate use) and the 1984 law on presses and printing publications, with a letter of justification also published on Wednesday.
The Ministry of the Interior also stressed that the Jalur Gemilang must be treated with respect because it symbolizes national sovereignty, unity and identity.
“Any failure to comply with the official specifications of the national flag could lead to legal action,” said the ministry quoted by Malay Mail.
Malaysian king Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar also weighed on the incident on Wednesday, stressing in the same way that the national flag is a symbol of sovereignty and national identity and must never be mocked or distorted.
“An error such as the publication of an image of Jalur Gemilang without the Crescent Moon, as we can see on the first page of a local newspaper in Chinese language, can trigger a sensitivity of the public and is unacceptable,” said Sultan Ibrahim in a press release on Facebook.
