SEBERANG PERAI, Aug 10 — Police have reportedly advised Umno Youth not to proceed with its planned protest in Kepala Batas over a viral incident involving the Malaysian flag being displayed upside down at a hardware store here.
According to a Malaysiakini report, acting Penang police chief Datuk Mohd Alwi Zainal Abidin stressed that the man involved had already been arrested and that an investigation paper would be submitted to the state prosecutor’s office with a recommendation to charge.
“We suggest that they do not proceed with it because the police have already taken appropriate action,” he was quoted as saying.
Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Akmal Saleh later announced that he was postponing his plan to “teach” the store owner how to display the Jalur Gemilang
“As the police have made an arrest, and the apek who flew the Malaysian flag upside down will be charged tomorrow, we will give space to the prosecution to carry out the legal process, thus, the ‘class’ will be postponed,” he said on Facebook.
He urged prosecutors and the court to punish the accused severely, warning that a light sentence would embolden others to disrespect the national flag.
This follows the incident in Penang in which a hardware store owner was arrested for allegedly hoisting the Jalur Gemilang upside down, after a 20-second video of the act was widely shared online.
Akmal had earlier announced plans to hold a protest at the store tomorrow, saying he and his supporters intend to “teach” the owner how to properly display the national flag.
The store owner, identified as Feng Jin Zhen, reportedly told Chinese-language daily Kwong Wah Yit Poh that he was measuring an iron pole to hoist the flag, did not realise its position, and corrected it immediately upon noticing.
