The Malaysian Press Photographers Association (MPPA) today lodged a police report denying an allegation that a photograph taken by a New Straits Times (NST) photographer on July 9 was superimposed.

MPPA president Mat Salim Shaari lodged the report at the Cheras police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur at 3.30pm.

In the report, MPPA defended the authenticity of the photo and denied the allegation made by a man via social website Facebook on July 11 that the photograph was superimposed.

Speaking to reporters after lodging the report, Mat Salim said the photograph, which showed a masked man clad in a white T-shirt and camouflage pants trying to hurl something away at around noon on July 9 in front of the Maybank Square and had become the front-page photo of the NST and Berita Harian the following day, was original.

He also said that the man had made wild and baseless allegation that could tarnish the image of MPPA, which has over 400 members, mostly among media photographers.

- Bernama