Sin Chew Daily suspends editors over flag error

PETALING JAYA: Sin Chew Daily has suspended its executive editor-in-chief, Chan Aun Kuang, and deputy chief sub-editor, Tsai Shwu San, pending an investigation over the error of the Malaysian flag.

In a brief statement on its website, the company said the decision took effect on Thursday (April 17).

“Following the issue of a mistaken flag image on the front page of Sin Chew Daily, and based on the principle of accountability, Sinchew Daily has decided to suspend executive editor-in-chief Chan Aun Kuang and deputy chief sub-editor Tsai Shwu San.

“The management of Sin Chew Daily announced that this decision takes immediate effect and will remain in place until the investigation is concluded,” it said.

Earlier, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain said police had completed recording statements from the two to assist in investigations into the publication of an incomplete illustration of the Jalur Gemilang on the newspaper’s front page.

The process took about three hours at the Classified Crime Investigation Unit office at the police headquarters in Bukit Aman.

Razarudin said so far, police have received 40 reports nationwide regarding the issue.

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.

Following the backlash, the newspaper issued an apology, stating that the mistake was a technical error and unintentional.

Sin Chew Daily will take action against personnel responsible for the flag error featured on its front-page illustration.

The daily said this in a statement issued late Wednesday (April 16) night and comes following a rebuke from His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, over the error involving the Jalur Gemilang.