Not All Flag Mistakes Are Equal

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Karma moves fast sometimes. While many condemned Sin Chew Daily for its error over our flag, now the Education Ministry has done a similar blooper.
Its SPM analysis report showed a Jalur Gemilang with two stars and eight stripes instead of 14.
Former law minister Zaid Ibrahim questioned, “Whose head is going to roll over this? I’m sure certain groups will claim that an apology isn’t enough.”
Former Selangor state executive councillor Teng Chang Khim said those who protested at Sin  Chew’s office and called for its closure should now do the same thing at the Education Ministry.
For a clue to what may happen in this latest flag fiasco, let’s look at several past incidents of flag mistakes.
In 2022, our national flag was raised upside down during the National Day Parade rehearsal at Dataran Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur. The mistake was made by none other than Royal Malaysian Navy personnel.
But unlike the huge outcry over the recent flag error by Sin Chew Daily, I don’t recall any sailors being publicly vilified for this.
Of course not, because it was an accidental blooper; why take an all-too-human misstep to extremes?
Sin Chew Daily officeYet, for Sin Chew, Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh claimed the newspaper had “menghina kedaulatan negara” (insulted national sovereignty) and that saying sorry was not good enough.
Some mistakes are more equal
In 2020, a factory owner in Senai, Johor, was remanded for three days for another flag gaffe.
The owner had ordered his Indonesian worker to replace a worn-out Jalur Gemilang but didn’t monitor the job, resulting in the flag being flown upside down.
However, the same mistake was treated differently when government premises were involved.
In August 2020, our flag was hung upside down at a school in Klang. However, police said it was “not intentional” even though it had generated online controversy.
This also happened at a school in Pahang in 2019. Then-inspector-general of police Abdul Hamid Bador said it was an “honest mistake” by a migrant worker.
In the recent controversy, Sin Chew had its executive editor-in-chief and deputy chief sub-editor suspended.
Protest at Sin Chew’s officeBut no headmasters or supervisors in the schools above were punished for their flag lapses. Should there have been more accountability?
Even more glaring, the flag was flown upside down at the Seremban district police headquarters in 2016. Seremban police chief Said Ibrahim said at the time that it was a “technical error” which had been quickly resolved.
So it’s clear that some flag blunders can be excused as “not intentional”, “honest mistakes”, or “technical errors”, while others receive the full wrath of condemnation.
Does it seem that some flag errors are “more equal” than others?
Done on purpose?
Before Sin Chew, another Chinese-based organisation, the Malaysian Basketball Association (Maba) was also demonised in 2019 for displaying a faulty flag with a five-pointed star on an electronic board during an event.
The mistake was quickly realised and taken down. The entire Maba committee bowed down humbly at a press conference to apologise. Even its president stepped down, pending the outcome of a police inquiry.
But all of that wasn’t good enough. The then-education minister Maszlee Malik said people who “claim to be Malaysian citizens” but are ignorant about the Jalur Gemilang “cannot be forgiven” for their “betrayal”.
Former education minister Maszlee MalikPerlis Mufti Asri Zainul Abidin said the “insult of the flag” by “those who were given citizenship” (referring to non-Malays) was “sangat melampau” (very extreme).
In other words, “Sorry, no cure.”
In the case of Sin Chew, similar racial rhetoric has emerged. Some people claimed the blunder was “deliberate” because the newspaper was “loyal to foreign powers”, i.e. China, and had “turned its back on Malaysia”.
As I explained before, as a Malaysian journalist for 31 years, I can testify that the local media are acutely aware of certain “sensitive” issues.
Nobody would dream of purposely causing an offence, as publishing licences can be instantly withdrawn.
But even then, lapses can happen in the high-pressure environment of the newsroom, as it did at The Star when I was working there.
As academic-activist Kua Kia Soong said: “It takes a special kind of arrogance - or perhaps ignorance - to demand blood over a simple proofreading error.
“Yet, instead of accepting Sin Chew’s sincere apology, some have chosen to weaponise this mistake, as if it were an act of treason rather than an honest oversight.”
Academic, activist, and former MP Kua Kia SoongSelective outrage?
Ahmad Murad Merican, of the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), condemned Sin Chew, saying, “Where is your loyalty to the country? Never mind the apology, this is subversive and treasonous.
“This newspaper must be banned. Is this the image of Chinese journalism in Malaysia?” he added.
Malay-rights activists also protested outside Sin Chew’s headquarters in Petaling Jaya.
“We reject the apology. ‘Tiada maaf bagimu!’ (No forgiveness for you!),” said Perkasa Youth chief Zool Amali Hussin and eight others.
Perkasa Youth chief Zool Amali Hussin (left)While the sailors, schools, and police station were excused for their flag mistakes, no such leeway was given to a Johor factory owner, Maba, or Sin Chew.
Is that a case of double standards?
Zaid, the former Umno law minister put it bluntly, “The mistake by Sin Chew editors would not have attracted such a drastic reaction... if they were Malays.
“Prof Tajuddin (Rasdi) said this symbolises a failed nation... More appropriate is the word racist,” he added.
Forgiveness is noble
In contrast, academic Tajuddin asked what kind of family or country fails to understand that “to err is human, and to forgive, divine?”
“I wonder what religion teaches its adherents the principle of ‘Sorry, no cure’?” he wrote.
“Even Prophet Muhammad forgave the people who caused him immense hardship.”
Sadly, in calling for reconciliation, Umno Veterans’ Club and Perkasa challenged Tajuddin to renounce his citizenship.
Of course, it’s important to get the flag right. But let’s not forget its deeper meaning.
“The flag represents the dignity of our communities… slapping someone simply for eating in public during Ramadan dishonours the flag,” wrote Tajuddin in a separate op-ed.
He added, “Corruption is like putting filth and waste on the flag. So is viewing corruption as a form of ‘donation’.”
Academic Tajuddin RasdiTaking a cue from that, I posted on Facebook that what was worse than the Sin Chew flag blunder were fake “patriots” waving “perfect” flags while destroying the country through corruption.
And I added in the famous quote, “Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel.” To illustrate my point, I chose two old photos of jailed former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak waving flags.
But wow, I was attacked by an online mob with foul and abusive words.
In reply, I “congratulated” them for their budaya mulia of adab dan sopan santun (noble culture of civility and politeness).
And I quoted the Malay proverb, “Kuman di seberang lautan nampak, gajah di pelupuk mata tak nampak.”
(You see the germ across the sea, but not the elephant in your eye).
Tajuddin also wrote that the flag means much more than just its image.
“The flag represents… our dignity, our justice, and our mutual respect.
“To fail in upholding these three pillars of nationhood is to tear the flag to pieces.” - Mkini
ANDREW SIA is a veteran journalist who likes teh tarik khau kurang manis. You are welcome to give him ideas to brew at [email protected].
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT

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