Letters | Public display of flags is subject to Malaysian law

Readers discuss the uproar over the waving of Chinese flags at a cultural festival, the push for a Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire, Hong Kong’s efforts to legalise same-sex relationships, and the city’s clean-factory initiative

Reading Time:4 minutes

The display of Chinese flags at a cultural festival in Perak led to a counter rally two days later in which hundreds converged on a town square in Perak to wave Malaysian flags and sing the national anthem. Photo: TikTok / wanwadifa

Published: 11:30am, 1 Nov 2024

Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at [email protected] or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification

I refer to the article, “Uproar in Malaysia after China flags waved at Perak cultural event” (October 26).

Malaysia’s Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil has rightly cautioned people against inciting racial sentiments about a cultural event where Chinese flags were publicly displayed or risk being investigated.

The incident took place during the International Guan Gong Cultural Festival in Teluk Intan, Perak state, where Chinese flags were waved by participants from China. According to reports, flags from other countries, including Vietnam and Thailand, were also paraded at the event.

While the Guan Gong Cultural Association of Malaysia, which organised the festival, has since apologised to the public and clarified that the flag-waving was not part of the official programme, I wish to point out that the public display of national emblems in Malaysia is governed by law.

The National Emblems (Control of Display) Act 1949, a pre-independence law, is short with only eight sections. A flag is of course considered a national emblem. Section 3 of the Act prohibits the display of any national emblem – including foreign flags – in public or in schools, though there are exceptions (Section 4) and exemptions (Section 5) to the prohibition.