Imposter blamed for 'third Malaysiakini police visit'
Three Chinese news dailies made a major blunder yesterday in reporting that the police this week paid news portal Malaysiakini a third visit over PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar’s remarks on freedom of religion.
The Chinese dailies’ blunder over a non-existent police visit this week is now blamed on a rogue message on the police system.
Three Chinese news dailies made a major blunder yesterday in reporting that the police this week paid news portal Malaysiakini a third visit over PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar’s remarks on freedom of religion.
Malaysiakini
denied the reports and said no one had contacted the portal for confirmation before the news was published.
Yesterday Sin Chew Daily , China Press and Guang Ming Daily - all newspaper under Media Chinese International group - quoted Subang Jaya police chief ACP Yahaya Ramli as saying that 14 police officers went to Malaysiakini ’s office on Thursday at 5.15pm.
According to the reports, the police had with them a court order and took statements from three Malaysiakini staff members and left at 6.55pm without confiscating any items.
China Press today reported that Yahaya had also denied the alleged third visit, claiming that someone had impersonated him.
He blamed the mystery person for sending out false information to the press, resulting in the erroneous reports.
Yahaya said that police will conduct an investigation into the imposter, and urged the media to double check with the authorities should they receive such messages in the future.
Meanwhile, Sin Chew Daily and Guang Ming Daily have remained silent on the blunder and did not follow up on the issue today.
According to a reliable source who asked to remain anonymous, a number of journalists received information about the "police visit" through their police messaging system on the night of Nov 22, and proceeded to publish the news.
The source expressed shock and puzzlement over how an imposter could have infiltrated the police messaging system.
On Nov 8 and 9, a team of police officers visited Malaysiakini ’s office to investigate a reader’s letter that had commented on the row stirred up over statements Nurul Izzah had made at a forum on Islam.
During the second visit, the police left satisfied after they obtained the reader’s email address from Malaysiakini , which was provided to the authorities with the writer’s permission.
