KUALA LUMPUR, April 17 — The editor-in-chief and deputy chief sub-editor of Sin Chew Daily were nabbed today over the publication of an incomplete illustration of the Jalur Gemilang on the front page of the newspaper.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain confirmed the arrests.
“We detained them for questioning and brought them to the office to retrieve computers and other items related to the case for further investigation.
“Both will be released on police bail tonight,” he said briefly when contacted.
Earlier today, the duo had their statements recorded during a three-hour session at the Classified Criminal Investigation Unit office at the Royal Malaysia Police Headquarters in Bukit Aman.
The editor-in-chief was reportedly responsible for approving the publication of the illustration, while the deputy chief sub-editor was the graphic designer.
Razarudin said so far, police have received 40 reports about the issue, and the case is being investigated under Section 3(1)(c) of the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act 1963 and Section 4(1)(b) of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984.
Yesterday, the Chinese-language newspaper published an incomplete illustration of the Jalur Gemilang on its front page with coverage of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Malaysia.
The incident drew criticism from various parties, including His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, who said the newspaper’s management and editorial department must be more careful when vetting materials before publication.
Following the backlash, the newspaper issued an apology, stating the mistake was a technical error.
— Bernama
