PUTRAJAYA: The Home Ministry (KDN) will investigate a recent erroneous infographic on the 15th Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail, published by a local Malay daily.
Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the ministry will look into the matter from all angles, including potential legal action or direct engagement with the media involved.
“If necessary, we will summon them for clarification and take the opportunity to convey how false and irresponsible reporting can have serious implications.
“However, any action taken should not be construed as the government undermining media freedom,” he told reporters after attending the ministry’s monthly assembly today.
While expressing strong regret over the report, which claimed that the IGP was a member of the PKR Central Leadership Council, Saifuddin also described the mistake as serious, as it involved the reputation of the highest-ranking officer in the country’s largest enforcement agency.
“The facts presented were obviously incorrect. The biodata profile included all of Datuk Seri Khalid’s past experiences, with an apparent intention to insert misleading information, despite the police having already issued an official and verified profile,” he said.
The minister stressed that an established media outlet should understand journalistic discipline, especially the obligation to verify facts, all the more crucial when reporting on a senior police officer with decades of service.
“Surely some effort should have been made to verify the facts. At a time when political divisions and hate sentiments are intensifying, such irresponsible reporting is like wildfire in a dry season,” he said.
Saifuddin also criticised the media outlet’s casual explanation that the error was unintentional, saying it failed to acknowledge the significant consequences.
“How do they intend to contain a viral wildfire that fuels hatred? What choice do we have? If we take stern action, then our MADANI Government will be accused of being a government that disrespects media freedom.
“But freedom must include the responsibility to report verified facts, not to spread lies that erode public trust in the police institution and tarnish the reputation of the new IGP. The consequences are substantial,” he said.
On June 20, the media outlet in question published an infographic linking the IGP to the PKR leadership, which caused widespread public confusion.
Following the backlash, the outlet issued an apology and suspended the staff involved in producing the infographic.
