Ramasamy said Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim’s displeasure was understandable but called on others not to escalate the issue, especially given that the Chinese-language daily had publicly acknowledged the mistake and taken corrective action.

“Unfortunately, some political voices are calling for severe punitive measures, including internal investigations and even the potential shutdown of its publication.

“Such extreme reactions are unwarranted,” he said in a statement.

Ramasamy also warned against an excessive response that could erode press freedom and disrupt the country’s media landscape, saying mistakes were inevitable in today’s fast-paced, tech-driven publishing environment.

“In this case, the mistake was acknowledged, apologies were made, and corrective actions were taken.

“If the mistake was unintentional, we should move forward by accepting the apologies in good faith,” he said.

As for the case of Kwong Wah Yit Poh, Ramasamy said that the crescent moon was not removed in its illustration but unintentionally obscured by another image.

“While the error warrants scrutiny and possibly legal review, it is important not to jump to conclusions or suggest that the omission was a deliberate attempt to insult the nation or its leadership.”

Both Kwong Wah Yit Poh and Sin Chew Daily are being investigated over the flag illustrations by the home ministry as well as the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission.

Several quarters, including PAS, have demanded stern action against Sin Chew Daily, which attributed the gaffe to a “technical mistake” in its apology and said it would take disciplinary action against its staff.

Bukit Aman is expected to quiz a chief editor and deputy chief sub-editor from Sin Chew Daily today.