Fixing The Jalur Gemilang Fiasco With Powerpoint Slides Really Fahmi

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YES, Sin Chew Daily made a mistake. And a serious one at that. Publishing a version of the Jalur Gemilang without the crescent moon – the symbol that represents Islam as the religion of the federation – is not a small oversight.
It was careless and unacceptable. Nobody is disputing that.
But just when you think the adults in the room might handle things with proportionality and a bit of common sense, along comes Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil with a solution: a special briefing.
That’s right. A briefing.
Editor’s Note: Fahmi who is also the Madani government spokesman had said that the Tun Abdul Razak Broadcasting and Information Institute (IPPTAR) would host a briefing for all media organisations to ensure that the use of Jalur Gemilang in media content follows official protocols.
Expected to be held within the next two weeks, the briefing aims to prevent incidents that could tarnish the image of the national flag.

“All media practitioners, representatives with media accreditation cards, press secretaries and corporate communications heads are required to attend this briefing,” added the Pantai MP.
Fahmi had earlier stressed that the soon-to-be established Malaysian Media Council will serve as an ideal platform to address sensitive issues involving media organisations.
Apparently, what Malaysia needs right now – in the wake of a front-page media gaffe – is a gathering of media professionals and corporate comms staff at a government institute to be taught how the national flag looks.
Because clearly, editors and designers who’ve worked in the industry for decades need a remedial class on stripes, crescent moon and stars.
‘Knee-jerk optics’
Let that sink in.
This is laughable. The idea that the root cause of this blunder was “lack of awareness” rather than a production slip or maybe a blind spot in the editorial workflow, is insulting to the professionals involved.

Every time something goes wrong, we don’t have to scramble to look like we’re doing something, even if that something is as useless as it is condescending.
Dear Fahmi, nobody needs a flag briefing. What we need is a government that doesn’t reach for the PowerPoint every time there is a public outcry over something or other.
What’s next – a seminar on how to sing the national anthem? A workbook on how to spell “Malaysia”?
Let’s be real: this “briefing” is not about solving anything. It’s about optics. It’s about being seen to act even when the action is meaningless. It’s a bureaucratic theatre. Period.
Malaysia doesn’t need another taklimat. We need a government that knows when to respond with substance and when to deploy proper PR (public relations) tactics. We need ministers who can lead with ideas, not knee-jerk optics.
So yes, Sin Chew Daily messed up. But let’s not pretend the solution is as simple as gathering everyone in a room and pointing at a slide of the Jalur Gemilang. We deserve more intelligent leadership than that. – focus Malaysia

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