Editor’s note: Apart from Sin Chew Daily, another Chinese daily Kwong Wah Yit Poh has landed itself in hot soup for displaying the Malaysian flag without the moon crescent which symbolises the status of Islam as the religion of the Federation.
In the case of Kwong Wah Yit Poh, it appears that the crescent moon was present but obscured by another image, hence another significant oversight.
“SINCE they have admitted their mistake, apologised publicly and published the apology in their newspaper, then they have done what is necessary from the perspective of journalistic ethics.”
Such is the view of veteran journalist and blogger Datuk A. Kadir Jasin light of the missing moon crescent on the Jalur Gemilang that was featured alongside the China flag as a symbolic gesture to welcome China president Xi Jinping who began a three-day state visit to Malaysia on Tuesday (April 15).
Commenting further of the Malaysian flag blunder which has sparked immense public furore on social media till His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysa felt compelled to compelled to tick off Sin Chew Daily for being “highly insensitive”, the national journalism laureate added:
“If the publication of the graphic was intentional, I consider them to be either very stupid, very evil or very brave,” he penned on his Facebook page citing an interview he gave Malay language news portal The Merdeka Times.
“But if it was unintentional, they are either stupid because they do not know their own national flag or they are careless in their job and that their editing and internal control system is very weak which goes to say that they’re unprofessional.”
On that note, Kadir stressed the need for the setting up of the Malaysian Media Council as a professional to judge such matter “rather than for the issue to be taken up by the police and MCMC (Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission).
“So, it would be ideal if the establishment of the Malaysian Media Council could be expedited,” the former group editor-in-chief of the mainstream New Straits Times (NST) subtly lobbied.
‘Extreme reactions unwarranted’
Echoing a similar sentiment is veteran politician Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy who emphasised approaching the matter with balance and reason.
“While the error warrants scrutiny and possibly legal review, it is important not to jump to conclusions or suggest that the omission was a deliberate attempt to insult the nation or its leadership,” cautioned the former DAP stalwart and ex-Penang deputy chief minister II.
“It’s difficult to believe that two well-established newspapers with long-standing histories would intentionally exclude such an important symbol.
However, Ramasamy cautioned against political voices that are calling for severe punitive measures, including internal investigations and even the potential shutdown of these publications.
“Such extreme reactions are unwarranted,” opined the United Rights of Malaysian Party (Urimai) interim council chairman.
“We live in a world increasingly driven by technology, and in such a fast-paced environment that human errors – though regrettable – do occur.
“What matters most is how these errors are handled. In this case, the mistakes were acknowledged, apologies were made, and corrective actions were taken.”
Added the former three-term Perai state assemblyman: “If the mistake was unintentional, we should move forward by accepting the apologies in good faith.
There is no benefit in entertaining extreme measures that could undermine press freedom or disrupt the media landscape unnecessarily. Let good sense prevail.” – April 17, 2025
