Police are investigating the error of printing the Indonesia flag upside-down in the souvenir book issued in conjunction with the grand opening of the 29th SEA Games at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur last night.

Bukit Aman federal police Special Branch director, Datuk Seri Mohamad Fuzi Harun said the investigation was to identify the cause.

"Perhaps it was a technical error, however, we are investigating this matter and will take action as the incident should not have happened.

"We don't want our neighbouring country, Indonesia, to feel hurt, so we need to take measures to ensure this does not recur in future," he told reporters after witnessing the handing-over of duty to the new Johor police chief Datuk Mohd Khalil Kader Mohd by his predecessor Datuk Seri Wan Ahmad Najmuddin Mohd.

He said Malaysia-Indonesia relations were very important, with Indonesia also participating in the ongoing biennial SEA Games (KL2017).

The upside-down image of the Indonesia flag in the souvenir book became viral on social websites, besides drawing criticism from various quarters including the republic's Youth and Sports Minister Imam Nahrawi, who described the error as "very painful".

His Malaysian counterpart Khairy Jamaluddin has issued an apology, while also stressing that the error was unintentional.

Meanwhile, Wan Ahmad Najmuddin, 59, will be the new federal police Criminal Investigation Department director.

He was appointed as Johor police chief on Dec 1, 2015, while Mohd Khalil, 57, had been the Royal Malaysian Police secretary from February 2016 before taking over from Wan Ahmad Najmuddin.

-- BERNAMA