‘No intention to fuel racial hate’: Johor event organiser says China flags on dragon puppet a ‘misunderstanding’
The Jan 18 incident in Muar – which followed similar occurrences in Tangkak and Perak – triggered outrage among netizens. But experts say foreign flags flown to celebrate friendship and cultural exchange should not be politicised.
The dragon puppet used in Muar Tiong Hua Association's 20th anniversary celebrations. Malaysian flags hung from its right flank, local police said. (Source: TikTok/@norasmahharun, Facebook/Kelab Info Malaysia)
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SINGAPORE: The latest incident of China flags displayed at a cultural event in Johor was a “misunderstanding” and not intended to “fuel racial hate or pro-China sentiments”, its organiser said on Thursday (Jan 23).
The incident in Muar – which followed similar occurrences in Tangkak and Perak – triggered outrage among netizens.
But experts told CNA that foreign flags flown as a “symbol of friendship and solidarity” or as a “celebration of cultural exchange” should not be politicised.
The procession in the Muar on Jan 18 featured a dragon puppet with China’s flags hanging from its left flank. Videos and images of the dragon went viral, prompting a police investigation and calls by netizens for Malaysian king Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar and his son, Johor regent Tunku Ismail, to take action.
Under the National Emblems (Control of Display) Act 1949, the offence of displaying a foreign flag is punishable by up to six months’ imprisonment, a fine not exceeding RM1,000 or both.
Dr Lim Teck Guan, president of the Muar Tiong Hua Association, which organised the event, told CNA the police probe has been “settled” with no charges brought that he is aware of.
“The whole thing is a misunderstanding, we borrowed the dragon puppet from our fellow association members in Melaka … we did not realise that there would be China flags on the side,” Lim told CNA.
Participants in the procession were all Malaysians and part of the association, Lim added.
His association does not have any links to China. “We do not promote pro-China feelings nor are we pro-China,” Lim stressed.
The cultural procession was part of the association’s 20th-anniversary celebrations and also featured lion dance performances. The procession made its way through several main roads, according to Muar district police chief Raiz Mukhliz Azman Aziz on Jan 19.
The dragon puppet, said to be the longest in Malaysia, had the Jalur Gemilang, Malaysia’s national flag, on its right flank and flags of China on its left, Raiz said.
NO ISSUE IF PURPOSE IS FRIENDSHIP AND SOLIDARITY, EXPERTS SAY
Other displays of the Chinese flag have caught the public’s attention in recent months.
Last month, police in Tangkak, Johor investigated the use of a rocket replica featuring China’s flag at a carnival.
Another incident was reported at the International Guan Gong Cultural Festival in Teluk Intan, Perak on Oct 24 last year, after which Islamist party Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) called for action to be taken against the organiser.
PAS deputy president Ibrahim Man said the Malaysian government must not normalise such matters and assume they can be settled with an apology, reported Free Malaysia Today.
The Guan Gong Cultural Association apologised and clarified that the Chinese flags were displayed by foreign delegates. This was not planned by the organisers, it said.
Perak Chief Minister Saarani Mohamad also weighed in, saying that there was no harm in foreign tourists waving China flags at an international festival. It would only be an issue if it was done by Malaysians, he said.
“Is it a crime for Chinese nationals in Malaysia to fly their flag (during an event)? To me, it is not a problem because they are not Malaysians,” he told Berita Harian.
Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Tiong King Sing said the “overreaction” to the waving of Chinese flags could hurt tourism.
“The fear is that if we continue to harp on this, it could scare away tourists from visiting Malaysia, thus affecting the tourism industry,” he said, as quoted by the New Straits Times.
The Perak incident prompted a counter-demonstration on Oct 26, with over 300 people showing up at Condong Tower in Teluk Intan waving the Malaysian flag.
The participants also sang the national anthem “Negaraku” and other patriotic songs, reported the New Straits Times.
PAS’ Perak state chief Razman Zakaria was among those who attended the demonstration. “We ask those whose eyes are like (mine), skin like (mine), and blood like ours, we must unite,” Razman said in his speech at the rally.
Contacted about the Perak incident, the Guan Gong Association’s advisor and former Democratic Action Party (DAP) member Ronnie Liu told CNA it is the “norm” for participants to bring flags to international events as a show of their identity.
Videos of the event also showed the flags of Vietnam and Thailand being waved.
While the National Emblems (Control of Display) Act bans the display of other countries' national emblems in Malaysia, Liu noted that reality on the ground is different.
“Palestinian flags are everywhere and there have been no issues. Why are China flags an issue?” Liu said.
Tajuddin Rasdi, a professor of Islamic architecture at University College Sedaya International (UCSI), a private university in Kuala Lumpur, agreed.
“Before this issue came up, I had no idea that waving the flag of another country could be considered a crime punishable by the law,” he wrote in a commentary on the news site Free Malaysia Today.
The recent incidents involving China’s flags should “never (have been) an issue” as they are a “celebration of cultural exchange”, which is expected in multi-racial Malaysia, he added.
Malaysia is also cultivating “greater economic and cultural ties with China”, he said.
Both countries celebrated 50 years of diplomatic relations last year and Chinese flags are frequently flown as a “symbol of friendship”, said Member of Parliament (MP) and legal activist Syahredzan Johan.
On the relevance of the National Emblems (Control of Display) Act, the Bangi MP told CNA: “We want to be part of the international community and thus, the display of foreign flags and emblems do not carry the same negative connotation as before and, instead, shows friendship and togetherness.”
Although there have been police investigations, he noted there have not been prosecutions, which would have sent “the wrong message”, especially if the waving of flags was borne of friendship or solidarity.
“There is no double standard on the part of the authorities when it comes to flags. The only reason why the police do not investigate the flags of Palestine is because no one has lodged a police report,” Syahredzan added.
As for police reports filed on the display of Chinese flags, he said: “Unfortunately, certain quarters have decided to do so for their own agendas, including political parties.”
Additional reporting by Amir Yusof
