Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) executive director Wathshlah Naidu also questioned the need for such action as the newspaper had already apologised and suspended the two staff.
“These are signs of accountability. Punitive action like arrests only sends a chilling message to the media that any mistake, even if corrected, will be met with disproportionate force.
“This is really over the top. It’s almost like there is a vendetta against the newspaper,” she told FMT.
Sin Chew’s chief editor Chan Aun Kuang and deputy chief sub-editor Tsai Shwu San were detained last night as part of an investigation into the illustration on the front page of its April 15 paper, which depicted the Jalur Gemilang without the crescent moon.
They were later released on police bail.
Bernama reported that Chan was said to be responsible for approving the publication of the illustration, while Tsai was the graphic designer behind the image.
The case is being investigated under Section 3(1)(c) of the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act 1963 and Section 4(1)(b) of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984.
Wathshlah said in the current AI-driven media environment, the focus should be on improving editorial due diligence, not criminalising mistakes.
“Errors will happen, but they should be corrected by going to the root of the problem so that it does not happen again,” she said.
She also spoke of an urgent need for a media council to develop ethical guidelines and standards for the use of AI in the newsroom.
“Those signing these images should be mandated to be more vigilant and aware of AI-generated images because AI comes with biases and errors, and we should not accept AI-generated images and content as the gospel truth,” she said.
Urimai chairman P Ramasamy shared a similar view, saying that a heavy-handed approach only underscored a lack of proportionality in dealing with a genuine oversight.
He acknowledged that the omission of the crescent moon from the flag was serious, but said the response should be balanced.
“Symbols of national identity carry weight. However, the seriousness of the error must be weighed against the context: it was a genuine mistake, promptly acknowledged, and followed by a sincere and public apology,” he said in a statement.
Both Wathshlah and Ramasamy called for a review of outdated laws used to police the media, particularly the Printing Presses and Publications Act, warning that their continued use undermined press freedom in Malaysia.