Upside-down flag stirs debate ahead of Malaysia's national day

Penang shopkeeper's blunder creates fresh divide between Chinese, Malay communities

- Lu Wei Hoong

KUALA LUMPUR - Socks with the word "Allah" printed on them, "ham" sandwiches and now Malaysian flags displayed upside down - Umno Youth chief Akmal Saleh does not seem to run out of controversies to stoke tensions.

This time, he has threatened to "educate" a Chinese hardware shopkeeper in Penang on how to properly hoist the national flag, after the latter flew it upside down outside his shop on Aug 9.

"If there are no charges on this individual by Wednesday, then God willing on Thursday I will go, and we will give a class to educate this Ah Pek on how to properly hoist the flag," he said in a Facebook video on Aug 11.

This was the second reported incident of the national flag being improperly displayed, following a case at a Chinese primary school in Negeri Sembilan on Aug 1.

The Penang shopkeeper, Mr Pang Chin Tian, 59, was arrested on Aug 9 after more than 15 police reports were made against him. He had earlier apologised to the public, saying he did not realise the flag was upside down.

"Every year, I will hoist the flag on the long pole on my shop since its opening 11 years ago. This is to show my patriotism," he was quoted as saying in Malaysia's Chinese-language daily China Press after his release on Aug 12.

Even so, some in the Chinese community have said on social media that they would not fly the Malaysian flag in 2025 for fear of being bullied as the issue has become political.

The controversy, just ahead of Malaysia's national day on Aug 31, has created a divide yet again between Malaysia's two biggest ethnic groups.

Datuk Akmal is no stranger to controversy.