SG LIMAU A doctored photo from Malay language paper Sinar Harian, which originally depicted its staff members having an interview with former Kedah menteri besar Azizan Abdul Razak has put PAS in a tight spot.

Claiming the party had no intention to cheat, PAS blamed its outsourced graphic designers for the controversy.

NONEThe original photo published in the paper on May 25, 2011, showed the paper’s deputy editor Muhammad Mat Yakim and northern bureau chief Mohd Idros Mohd Ali visiting Azizan for an exclusive at Wisma Darul Aman, Alor Setar.

The doctored photo, carried in one of PAS’ election flyers, featured Mohd Idros with PAS candidate Mohd Azam Samat meeting with Azizan in a similar setting.

The issue, including the two photos, was carried today in Sinar Harian’s page 4 headlined ‘Risalah: fakta atau auta?’ (Flyer: fact or fiction?).

On the same page, Sinar Harian’s chief editor Nordin Mohamed issued a statement distancing the newspaper from PAS and the contents of the flyer.

In an immediate response, PAS Sg Limau elections operations director Amiruddin Hamzah denied that the party had any intention to mislead the public.

He claimed he was not aware of how the matter came about, saying the flyers were prepared by designers who were hired by the party.

“The copy comes to us when it was already prepared and we give comments or make changes based on that,” he told a press conference at the party’s operations centre in Padang Lumat.

“If we talk about Azam’s photo with Azizan, we have many of them. I don’t see the need to doctor it,” added the Anak Bukit assemblyperson.

Anyhow, Amiruddin said the matter would be probed by the party and changes would be made to the flyers.

‘Flyer’s masthead similar to Sinar Harian’s?’

In a similar development, PAS was also queried on why one of its flyers used a masthead similar to Sinar Harian’s.

NONEPAS was asked if this would confused the people who may mistake the flyer for the independent Malay newspapers.

“It’s not an issue. We just used the words ‘Sinar Sg Limau’ which means Sg Limau Shine and is not related to the newspaper,” said Amiruddin, a former state executive councillor under PAS.

“We use a different font, paper size and format and if anyone is confused by it, then that person is quite bad,” he added.

PAS and BN are now in their sixth day of campaigning for the Sg Limau state seat, which will go to polls on Nov 4.

Azam, 37, is facing BN’s Ahmad Sohaimi Lazim, 52 in a straight fight, in a campaign that spans 12 days.

The seat fell vacant when Azizan, the former Sg Limau assemblyperson who held the seat for five terms, died on Sept 26.

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