For years, incidents of misprinting or displaying the national flag wrongly have recurred. This year, my colleagues and I became the first “casualties.” Three enforcement agencies took turns questioning us as if we were criminals in a major case. We nearly ended up spending a night at the police station. Then came suspension from duty, followed by anxious waiting to see if charges would be filed. Although we eventually received a notice of no further action and returned to work, the dark cloud over the flag issue did not lift. Instead, it intensified into a full-blown storm months later—especially during the national day season, when “patriotism” dominates public discourse. In the north, political muscle-flexing took centre stage. In the south, some local governments went so far as to shut down businesses for 30 days over flag-related mistakes. Let me be clear: our mistake was genuine, and we apologised publicly in three languages. Privately, we repeated “sorry” many times and accepted the ridicule circulating online. We stood firm because a mistake is still a mistake. This is basic professionalism—quite different from the top ministry officials or politicians who made similar errors without the same accountability. During that time, we also witnessed the theatrics of so-called “patriotic artistes”—storming in with fiery gestures and dramatic speeches. Watching them, one couldn’t help but sigh and feel embarrassed for the nation. Thankfully, many readers and organisations sent messages of moral support—so many that our phones overheated. Others quietly reached out to help us. When the SPM results report misprinted the flags, the heat shifted away from us. The error then travelled to PAS in Terengganu, and later to another ministry. Yet I remain convinced that all these mistakes—including ours—were unintentional. Anyone with common sense knows there is no benefit in deliberately misprinting the flag. For their sake, I’m glad they didn’t endure what we did: handcuffs, detention threats, or near-overnight lockups. At our darkest moment, most mainstream media remained rational—reporting responsibly, upholding ethics, and protecting harmony. I could not help but give my fellow journalists a thumbs-up. It reminded me of last year’s KK Mart sock incident, after which Sin Chew Daily and many organisations launched the #MZB365 campaign (Maaf Zahir Batin – Wholehearted Forgiveness) to counter hatred with compassion. This remains our strongest armour against bullies. That is why I firmly believe that as long as mistakes are not deliberate, they should be met with tolerance. Those who shout “shut them down” or “strip citizenship” are beyond foolish. Even police stations have hung flags upside down before and badminton star Lee Zii Jia once wore a jersey with a wrongly printed flag. By their logic, wouldn’t punishments in those cases be absurd? At the height of the storm, information department held two briefings on how to display the flag correctly. But alongside practical advice came a long list of “don’ts”—effectively giving political bullies a magnifying glass for nitpicking. This crushed the spirit of National Day. Today, spotting a vehicle proudly flying the Jalur Gemilang […]
3月前
Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh was slapped with a charge of allegedly causing public fear on Friday. About 300 Umno youth members and supporters from Penang, Kedah, Selangor, Kelantan and Kuala Lumpur were present to show support, turning the court proceedings into a political show. Dr Akmal, who pleaded not guilty, told the media outside the magistrate’s court that the crowd at the Bukit Mertajam court was not there to support him personally, but to defend the dignity of Jalur Gemilang. He said he would face the charges, take full responsibility, and have no fear whatsoever. He warned “that person” not to think he could be intimidated by legal action. Shortly after returning from Mecca at midnight, Dr Akmal posted a video on Facebook showing a large group of supporters welcoming him at the airport, vowing that he would never back down. It was clear he regarded this case as a “glorious chapter” in his political journey. Although no heavyweight Umno leaders appeared in court to support him—possibly to avoid being seen as defying the Umno supreme council’s decision—former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s son, Datuk Mohd Nazifuddin, showed up, signaling a special relationship between Najib and Dr Akmal. Unfortunately, on the eve of Dr Akmal’s court appearance, a private dental clinic in Pontian, Johor, was ordered by the Pontian Municipal Council to close for 30 days after staff mistakenly hung the national flag upside down. This incident further fueled Dr Akmal’s cause. Pontian police’s initial probe found the mistake was due to negligence with no malice, yet the local council took harsh action to send a message. Johor is governed by Barisan Nasional with Umno at the helm, MCA as a partner and Pakatan Harapan to ensure checks and balances. Some Johor Umno leaders sided with Dr Akmal in the flag incident. For instance, Umno supreme council member and Johor state assembly speaker Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi said Dr Akmal’s protest against the inverted flag was driven by patriotism, not racism. He urged Umno members and fair-minded citizens to back Dr Akmal, claiming DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke had already achieved his goal, since he had earlier instructed DAP youth to lodge police reports under Section 503 of the Penal Code (criminal intimidation). Johor Umno Veterans’ Club president Datuk Othman Jais also condemned DAP’s “rude remarks,” stressing that the flag incident concerned national dignity and sovereignty. He said the rules were clear where negligence or deliberate inversion must face legal consequences. Some Johor Umno youth divisions also stood by Dr Akmal when MCA youth lodged a police report against him. Without instruction, it is unlikely the Pontian Municipal Council would have acted so harshly. An inverted flag case should have been left to the police for investigation, with the Attorney-General’s Chambers deciding on prosecution. Local authorities should not abuse administrative power, as this sets a bad precedent and undermines the business environment. Ordering the dental clinic to shut down for 30 days was excessive, […]
4月前
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