No action will be taken against China Press over its report that alleged that Inspector-General of Police Musa Hassan will resign later this month.

chinapress reported musa hassan quits 130310 This was because the Home Ministry is satisfied with the popular Chinese daily's written response to a showcause letter issued on March 13.

In a statement today, deputy Home Ministry chief secretary Ahmad Fuad Ab Aziz said China Press editor-in-chief admitted that he published the story without verifying the information.

" China Press and its editor-in-chief are ready to apologise to the Home Minister. They wish to meet him for this purpose," he said.

Additionally, Ahmad Fuad said China Press was also taking internal disciplinary action against its editor-in-chief for negligence which had affected the company's credibility and the integrity of the government.

Warning to journalists

"The Home Ministry will leave this matter to the discretion of the China Press management to decide on the disciplinary action to be taken against its editor-in-chief," he said.

"Such stern action serves as a warning to all irresponsible journalists... to never repeat this mistake and be more prudent."

Top officials from China Press were hauled up to Home Ministry for an explanation over the report which appeared on the publication's front page last Saturday.

Following this, Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein announced that there was indeed an impending reshuffle and a replacement for Musa has been identified.

Musa's contract will expire in September.

Previously, China Press was threatened with possible suspension following its report over the nude-squat scandal after the newspaper mistakenly identified the victim as a Chinese national.

This soured ties between Malaysia and China, and the then Internal Security Ministry was reportedly appeased only after China Press ' top two editors were axed to take responsibility.