BANGKOK: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has stressed that the issue of displaying an incomplete image of the Jalur Gemilang must not be taken lightly.
Anwar said this is because the national flag is a symbol of the country’s sovereignty and dignity.
He also reminded all parties to be cautious and not to take any mistakes involving the Jalur Gemilang lightly.
“For any country, the flag is a very important symbol. This is not a trivial matter; let the legal process take its course,” he told Malaysian reporters at the end of his two-day working visit here today.
He was responding to questions regarding the incident involving the display of the Jalur Gemilang without the crescent moon on the front page of local Chinese-language newspaper Sin Chew Daily last Tuesday.
Anwar said investigations must proceed through the proper legal channels, without undue pressure or demands.
“I’ve also said we must not appear excessive in our actions just to meet certain demands — it must follow due legal process,” he said.
Sin Chew Daily published an illustration of the Jalur Gemilang on its front page as part of its coverage of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Malaysia, but the image of the flag was incomplete.
The incident drew criticism from various quarters, including His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, who said the newspaper’s management and editorial department should have been more careful and reviewed the materials before publishing.
Following the backlash, the newspaper issued an apology and explained that it was an unintentional technical error.
