NST Leader: Desecration of Jalur Gemilang

To fly the Jalur Gemilang upside down is an insult to the dignity of our beloved nation, but a hardware store owner in Kepala Batas, Penang, has done exactly that. And to do that just weeks before the country celebrates its National Day is like stabbing the very heart of the nation.

Insult a man’s dignity, he may forgive you. But insult the dignity of the nation, which the Jalur Gemilang is a symbol of, he will neither forgive you nor forget the disrespectful act. So will not the nation. The proof of this is the numerous police reports lodged around the country by loyal Malaysians and statements issued by national leaders.

Disturbed as he was, National Unity Minister Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang took to X, urging the police to take firm action against the offender, stressing the need for the action to serve as a lesson to all. Flying the flag correctly is every citizen’s responsibility as a sign of respect and love for the country, Bernama quoted him as saying.

He is right. To fly the Jalur Gemilang incorrectly is to seek to blemish the sovereignty, dignity and unity of the nation. Such an abhorrent act mustn’t be tolerated.

Strongly worded condemnation was also issued by Penang PKR Youth chief Muhammad Zakwan Mustafa Kamal in a statement on Saturday. He said the act of flying the Jalur Gemilang upside down was disrespectful, irresponsible, and an insult to the dignity of the nation.

He said if the act was proven to be deliberate, no compromise should be shown. We say the same, too. Zakwan also called on the hardware store owner to issue a public apology to all Malaysians. As this Leader goes to press, no such apology has been issued.

The police are saying that there is a case for prosecution. The hardware shop owner, who was detained on Sunday and released on police bail later, is being investigated under Section 5 of the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act 1963, Section 14 of the Minor Offences Act 1955 and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.

If there is a case for prosecution, it is high time the authorities bring to bear the full brunt of the law on him to show how serious an insult to the dignity of the nation is. There have been far too many cases in the past, many of the culprits feigning ignorance. Utter incredulity must be the response.

Even in the past, it wasn’t the act of one who hadn’t come of age. Or the act of one who suffered from some disease of the mind. Though the past acts showed clear disrespect for the dignity of the nation, we chose to adopt a softly, softly approach.

The Kepala Batas incident proves to the authorities that such an approach was wrong. Nay it might have even encouraged it. If what the police investigation is saying is right, then the full brunt of the law must be brought to bear on him.

Even ordinary crime demands punishment. Insulting the symbol of the dignity of a nation is no ordinary crime. As severe as it is, so must the punishment be.

© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd

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