In a statement today, Sinar Harian said the error stemmed from the use of an outdated design template that was previously used in a poster featuring Dewan Rakyat Speaker Johari Abdul, a PKR member and former Kedah PKR chief.

The newspaper said a staff member and the supervisor of the social media team who approved the graphic will be temporarily suspended from duty, and an internal investigation carried out to determine whether there were elements of sabotage involved.

“Sinar Harian has also lodged a police report to officially inform the authorities of the incident and to allow space for further investigation if necessary,” the statement said.

Sinar Harian said it was committed to strengthening its editorial processes and quality control measures to ensure the accuracy and credibility of the information provided to the public.

Earlier today, Bukit Aman secretary Kamaruzaman Abdullah issued a stern warning for publishing unverified information, which he said tarnished the reputation of Khalid and the police force. He said Khalid had never been a member of any political party, nor held any party position.

PKR secretary-general Fuziah Salleh said yesterday that Khalid had never been a member of PKR, let alone a state party leader.

She said circulation of such false information could fuel negative perceptions of PKR as the ruling party, if members of the public believed that his appointment as IGP was politically motivated.

Khalid, who was director of Special Branch, was named the new inspector-general of police on Friday, succeeding Razarudin Husain, whose two-year contract as IGP ended today.