Unity Minister Demands Stern Police Action After Latest Flag Gaffe

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National Unity Minister Aaron Ago Dagang has urged the police to take firm action after the latest Malaysia flag blunder involving a Penang businessperson, stressing that it should serve as a lesson to all parties.
In a post on X today, he said the Jalur Gemilang is a symbol of the country's sovereignty, unity, and national dignity that belongs to all Malaysians regardless of race, religion, or background.
"I am deeply regretful and view seriously the incident of the Jalur Gemilang being flown upside down that was reported to have occurred recently.
"Flying it correctly is the responsibility of every citizen as a sign of respect and love for the homeland.
"I wish to remind that the act of displaying or flying the national flag improperly or incorrectly is an offence under the Emblems and Names Act 1963 (Act 414). I hope that the police can take immediate and firm action so that it serves as a lesson to all," Aaron (above) said.
Earlier, the businessperson, a hardware shop owner, explained that he was measuring the length of an iron pole whilst hanging the national flag and did not notice that the flag was upside down.
Chinese-language daily Kwong Wah Yit Poh reported Feng Jin Zhen as saying that the incident occurred between 9am and 10am today, whilst he was preparing to hang the flag.
He said during the process, he realised the flag had been accidentally hung upside down and immediately corrected it.
He also said he was unaware the entire process had been filmed and quickly uploaded to Facebook, and regretted that the video only captured the upside-down portion without showing the moment the flag was corrected.
Feng apologised and said he went to the Kepala Batas police station at 1.30pm to lodge a report to take responsibility, clarify the facts, and provide an explanation.
Other blunders
This marks the sixth national flag blunder in recent months. The most recent incident occurred at a Chinese school in Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan, where the Jalur Gemilang was displayed upside down.
Following that incident, Lukut assemblyperson Choo Ken Hwa revealed that the mistake was due to a worker with special needs. However, Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh urged the authorities not to back down, despite the explanation.
After the incident involving Feng, Akmal again pulled no punches. In a Facebook video today, he sarcastically asked whether the person involved is also disabled.
Akmal further said that he has instructed youths in Penang, where the video was allegedly taken, and Umno Youth across the country to lodge police reports against this latest incident starting tonight.
He also accused those who "back up" the people embroiled in flag errors as "empty-headed".
Uncouth act
Penang PKR Youth chief Zakwan Mustaffa Kamal also condemned the incident as being "an uncouth act that insults the nation".
Penang PKR Youth chief Zakwan Mustaffa Kamal"Flying it upside down is an insult that cannot be accepted at all, especially when we are celebrating independence month.
"We wish to remind that the Jalur Gemilang is not merely a decoration. It is a symbol of the sacrifices made by independence fighters and the identity of the nation we love. Neglecting or making light of it is a form of betrayal of patriotic values," he said in a statement today.
Zakwan also urged for a prompt investigation by the authorities, and if proven to be intentional, he called for legal action to be taken without compromise.
Zakwan also demanded that Feng apologise publicly to all Malaysians.
"Enough with excuses of ‘unintentional’ or ‘mistakenly hung’. We need awareness, not excuses," he added. - Mkini

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