Why flay the flag flyers?

We are fast becoming an incredibly intolerant society. Two guys tried flying their imaginary flag - Sang Saka Malaya (Sacred Malaya) - on the eve of this year’s Merdeka celebrations and were immediately flayed by the establishment.

An Umno minister was being incredulous when he accused them of wanting to get rid of our beloved Agong and turning our homeland into a republic. Communist even.

The design of the flag is simple enough, in red and white with a yellow crescent and star on the top left. It has an uncanny resemblance to the flags of Indonesia and Singapore and even to that of Umno, the dominant component party of the BN.

The police are now considering charging the duo for high treason under the Internal Security Act (ISA) - even though Parliament has repealed this outdated, draconian law.

That would be silly. The police would be killing artistic licence and freedom of expression with a sledgehammer.

If really the authorities need to act, then use Act 193, for goodness sake. That would suffice. Act 193 is the National Emblems (Control of Display) Act 1949 (Revised 1977).

This obscure law allows any police officer to arrest without warrant any person who he or she has reasonable cause to believe has committed or is committing an offence. The penalty is a term not exceeding six months’ jail or to a fine not exceeding RM500, or both.

Act 193 also prohibits flying (unless with express permission) ‘any flag, banner or other emblem being or purporting to be the flag, banner or other emblem of any state, or the flag, banner or other emblem of any political organisation claiming to be a national movement in any state or any likeness or resemblance however reproduced of any national leader or former national leader of any state or the leader or former leader of any such political organisation’.

Quite a mouthful. What it means is that no one is allowed to fly anything other than the national flag unless permission has been granted and gazetted.

So this may mean that the 1Malaysia flag as well as Umno flags bearing the images of its past and present presidents may turn out to be as illegal as the Sang Saka Malaya.

Of course, the police have banned yellow as an illegal and subversive colour and anyone found sporting it would probably be thrown into the slammer even though there is no such law.

Past artistic interpretations

The Sang Saka Malaya is not the first attempt in artistic interpretation of our national emblem.

Take the 1Malaysia logo. It’s an act of turning the national flag into political re-branding. Does this constitute desecration of our flag? Don’t be silly.

What about the singer Sudirman draping himself with the Malaysian flag in all its glory and dragging it across the stage. Is this disrespect? Don’t be silly.

In 1992, the national anthem was given a new upbeat tempo, to quick march ourselves into our Vision 2020. Was the ISA used? Come on, don’t be silly. Anyway that version proved so unpopular that it died a natural death.

In 1997, our flag was named Jalur Gemilang (Stripes of Glory). Well, this sounds sacrilegious to me, since the first principle of our five-point Rukunnegara is the worship of God’s glory and not that of our flag. Place God first, and then go fly the flag.

In July 2003, there was a move to rename the Negaraku to Malaysiaku. There was an immediate public outcry. The controversy fortuitously paved the way for the anthem to be re-arranged and returned to the more congenial pre-1992 pace.

Guess who was the prime minster meddling with our national emblem then? Yep, you got it right.

Not too long ago, someone who was then studying in Taiwan tried to rap the national anthem on YouTube. He immediately got rapped for it, although a tad too unkindly. He has since apologised.

In response to the May 13 racial riots in 1969, artist Ibrahim Hussein painted black over the Malaysian flag, adding only a red line and a white circle below it.

Apparently when then Prime Minister Abdul Razak Hussein saw it he asked: “Ibrahim, is that a real flag? Why did you deface our national flag?”

Ibrahim explained: “Black - the darkness represents an eclipse the country was going through; red - the twilight that comes after the eclipse and darkness; white circle - symbolises a new energy and a rebirth.”

It was said that the artist had added that, to him, May 13 was not a national tragedy, it was a human tragedy; and could happen anywhere in the world if man chose to live like that.

Quick wit impressed Razak and Ibrahim was allowed to exhibit the painting in the Dewan Tunku Canselor, Universiti Malaya, on condition that the ‘Black Flag’ was not to be sold or be taken out of the country.

It has since become a museum collection.

That was a breath of fresh air from Razak. There was no need to bring in the sledgehammer.

My hope and prayer is that the chip off the old block would also do likewise and close the Sang Saka Malaya episode with similar political correctness.

---

BOB TEOH is a flag collector and flyer and has been tinkering with new designs for a flag to reflect the current national mood. He plans to exhibit his flag designs after the ISA is completely repealed. Hopefully.