KEPALA BATAS: Police have launched an investigation after a video surfaced showing a man holding the Jalur Gemilang upside down outside a shop in this northern Penang district.
The 21-second clip, which went viral on social media, depicts two individuals at a hardware store with the national flag displayed incorrectly while being recorded.
Seberang Perai Utara district police chief ACP Anuar Abd Rahman confirmed receiving a report from a complainant who spotted the footage on Facebook at 12.30 pm yesterday.
“The complainant suspected the incident occurred in Kepala Batas and subsequently filed a report at the local police station,“ Anuar said in an official statement.
Authorities are probing the case under three separate laws – 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 1988.
Investigators have begun recording statements from both the complainant and the suspect involved in the controversial incident.
The video has drawn widespread criticism from social media users, with several NGOs and political figures condemning the act.
Bertam assemblyman Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican joined those lodging police reports, stressing the importance of safeguarding national symbols.
“Malaysia has existing laws to protect the dignity of our national emblems,“ Reezal Merican stated.
“Proper investigations and appropriate action must be taken to prevent such disrespectful incidents from happening again.”
The police have not disclosed further details about the suspects or potential motives behind the flag incident as investigations continue. – Bernama
