KUALA LUMPUR: The recent publication error by local daily Sinar Harian involving the profile of Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail needs to be resolved through a constructive approach, not based on punitive measures.
The Malaysian Media Council (MMC) is of the view that invoking punitive laws only undermines media freedom.
“The remedy for flawed journalism is better journalism, not intimidation or suppression.
“While media organisations are bound by the responsibility to report accurately and ethically, it is also important that such errors are addressed constructively and within the proper frameworks,” it said in a statement issued by the MMC Founding Board today.
Recently, Sinar Harian published an infographic of Mohd Khalid’s biodata, which stated that he had held a high position in Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR). However, the newspaper has since retracted the infographic and issued a public apology.
In this case, the MMC said Sinar Harian had apologised and asked to meet with the IGP, who has also agreed to the meeting.
“We (MMC) believe the meeting between the two parties will resolve this matter constructively.
MMC said that mistakes, while regrettable, can and do happen in any profession. What matters is how they are addressed. The media must, in turn, respond to such lapses with transparency, humility, and a commitment to improve,” it added.
The statement added that although MMC has yet to be formally constituted, this situation reaffirms the need to uphold the fundamental values of responsible journalism and the importance of fact-checking, especially when reporting on key national institutions.
It said that MMC is committed to fostering a media environment that respects freedom of expression within the bounds of professional, responsible and ethical journalism.
MMC is established under the MMC Act 2025, which came into effect on June 14.
The MMC Founding Board is made up of 12 members, comprising four representatives for each category, namely media owners, media practitioners and non-media practitioners.
