Pontian MP Ahmad Maslan has called for calm after another business premises, this time in his constituency in Johor, was seen hanging the Jalur Gemilang upside down.
Ahmad, who is also the deputy works minister, said the upside down flag displayed at a dental clinic had been corrected.
“I urge everyone to remain calm. This matter is being addressed, and the authorities are already taking the necessary action,” he said in a Facebook post.
He said the business owner and a staff member had given their statements to the police, after several police reports were lodged.
He also explained that the staff member had hung the flag upside down by mistake.
Ahmad said he has spoken to the president and secretary of the Pontian Municipal Council and the district officer in charge, and that he will be meeting with the district deputy police chief tomorrow to discuss the matter.
“Let us remember that this is not an issue of race. It is a matter of awareness, attentiveness, and patriotism. All communities and all parties must be careful when dealing with sensitive matters, while the authorities must ensure that the law is upheld at all times,” he said.
Earlier today, Harian Metro reported that a 33-second video, which had gone viral, had shown the national flag being flown upside down on the second floor of a three-storey shop building, next to the Johor flag, which was correctly displayed.
Several members of the public and policemen were also seen in front of the building.
Pontian deputy police chief Abd Hamid Abdul Rahaman confirmed in a statement that an investigation had been launched.
Last week, the Attorney-General’s Chambers reminded the public not to take matters into their own hands in instances of protocol breaches regarding the Jalur Gemilang.
The AGC’s statement was issued after more than 200 people led by Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh gathered near a hardware shop in Kepala Batas, Penang, after its owner was investigated for hanging the Jalur Gemilang upside down outside his premises.
Several other cases involving the incorrect display of the Jalur Gemilang also made the headlines, including one involving a school in Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan, and another where Terengganu Umno Youth had posted on its social media account a graphic of the flag with a mistake.
