Daily says use of old design resulted in wrong info on new IGP

Daily says use of old design resulted in wrong info on new IGP

KUALA LUMPUR: An infographic mistakenly linking the new Inspector-General of Police to a political party was the result of using an outdated design template, Sinar Harian has clarified.

“The mistake was made by a staff member in the Social Media Unit, who reused the old design template for a graphic involving Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul.

“We sincerely apologise to IGP (Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail), the Royal Malaysia Police and the public for this oversight,” it said.

The infographic has sparked confusion among the public because it inaccurately described the nation’s top cop as a member of the PKR central leadership council, chairman of Kedah PKR and a Sungai Petani Umno committee member.

The publication lodged a police report on Saturday to formally notify the authorities of the incident and allow further investigation should the police deem it necessary.

DISYORKAN UNTUK ANDA :

Kemasukan Tengku Zafrul Ke PKR Bakal Gugat Keharmonian Kerajaan Perpaduan

The daily said internal investigations are also underway to determine if there were any elements of sabotage.

As a precautionary measure, the staff member responsible and the supervising officer who approved the infographic have both been suspended pending the outcome of the investigations.

“Sinar Harian takes this matter seriously and is committed to strengthening editorial procedures and quality control measures to uphold the accuracy and credibility of information provided to the public,” it added.

Mohd Khalid was appointed the 15th IGP, taking over from Tan Sri Razarudin Husain on Friday.

Meanwhile, police secretary Senior Asst Comm Datuk Kamaruzaman Abdullah said the mistake has created doubt in the police force’s credibility.

DISYORKAN UNTUK ANDA :

Kempen Timbalan Presiden PKR Dedahkan Wajah Sebenar Rafizi

He reiterated that the newly-minted IGP had no ties to any political party.

“The police confirmed that Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail has never been a member or held any positions in any political parties.

“The information was false, confusing and had caused the wrong perception while also creating doubt over the credibility of the force.

“The police strongly rebuke the carelessness by the media over the unchecked information, which has now affected the reputation of the police force and the IGP.

“The force stands on the principles of neutrality, integrity and professionalism,” he said.