PONTIAN: A mini supermarket in Pekan Nanas here was ordered to close for 30 days after it was found to be flying the Johor flag upside down.
The Pontian Municipal Council president, Abdul Azim Shamsuddin, said that a closure notice, effective Monday (Aug 25), has been submitted to the premises.
He stated that the action followed an inspection, which revealed that the premises were in breach of the Business and Trade Licensing Bylaws (UUK) 2019, specifically in relation to flag flying.
“The owner of the premises can still submit a written appeal during the closure period, but further decisions are subject to the discretion of the council president,” he told Sinar Harian on Tuesday (Aug 26).
Abdul Azim said that individuals and business owners should ensure that flags are installed correctly.
“The Jalur Gemilang and the Johor flag are symbols and signs of respect for national and state sovereignty.
“Owners of business premises in particular should not let their employees put up flags without being monitored and checked. Business premises owners need to be responsible for what their employees do,” he added.
Meanwhile, Pekan Nanas assemblyman Tan Eng Meng stated that a special monitoring team had been established to ensure the installation of the Jalur Gemilang and the Johor flag in the area was carried out correctly in conjunction with the National Day celebration.
He explained that the team involved members of the Pontian Municipal Council, village heads and community leaders who will go to the field to monitor business premises and residential houses.
“If there is a mistake in the installation of the flag, the team will continue to help and correct it.
“We hope that the incident involving the installation of the flag upside down will not be repeated and leave the investigation to the authorities,” he said.