His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia today said it was “unacceptable” for Sin Chew Daily to wrongly depict the Jalur Gemilang on the front page of yesterday’s edition of its newspaper.
Sultan Ibrahim said Sin Chew Daily’s management and editorial department should have been more vigilant and reviewed all materials before printing.
He stressed that the Jalur Gemilang is a symbol of Malaysia’s sovereignty and identity, and that Malaysians have a strong sense of pride and patriotism for the flag.
“The flag is a symbol of national sovereignty and should not be ridiculed.
“The mistake of displaying the Jalur Gemilang without the crescent moon as published on the front page of a local Chinese-language newspaper can trigger public sensitivities and is unacceptable,” he said in a statement on the king’s official Facebook page.
Sin Chew yesterday issued an apology in three languages for the error in their front-page illustration.
The apology was made in English, Bahasa Malaysia, and Chinese.
According to a statement from the Chinese daily, the illustration inadvertently omitted the crescent from the Malaysian flag published on Tuesday.
"This was an unintentional error made during the design process. We have amended the digital version, and the same notice will be published in the print version.
"We apologise unreservedly to our readers, members of the Malaysian community, and the general public. We regret the error," it said.
His Majesty said the flag is not merely a piece of colourful cloth, but one that represents the nation’s struggles, history, independence and the spirit of its people.
He also instructed the newspaper’s management and editorial team to be more alert and ensure all published materials are thoroughly checked before going to print. – April 16, 2025
