KUALA LUMPUR – Activist and lawyer Latheefa Koya has lambasted the individuals behind the recent uproar surrounding an upside-down national flag displayed at SJKC Chung Hua in Port Dickson, saying the overreaction could discourage Malaysians from displaying the Jalur Gemilang altogether.
Latheefa voiced her frustration on social media platform X, urging for reason to prevail.
“The flag incident has been blown out of proportion,” she said.
“For the past few days, we have witnessed with increasing horror and disgust the outcry over the upside-down flag at the school. Once again, politicians have reacted hysterically to a simple mistake.”
The flag, which was inadvertently hung upside down by a school employee, caused a wave of public outrage when it was noticed by passersby and subsequently shared on social media. Despite the school’s swift apology and correction, the incident spiralled into a political firestorm.
Latheefa argued that the uproar was unwarranted.
“No one is going to deliberately disrespect the national flag. It was an obvious mistake. This excessive reaction is doing more harm than good,” she added.
She further criticised the politicians using the incident to score political points.
“It’s clear they’re trying to outdo each other in showing who’s the most patriotic, but at the expense of innocent victims like the school staff and parents.”
The school, in a statement last week, explained that the flag was mistakenly hung upside down by a worker and confirmed it had been corrected by 5 pm the same day. They also assured the public that the error was unintentional and expressed regret for the confusion it caused.
“Such incidents shouldn’t lead to threats of police action or national outrage. What we need now is calm and a focus on what’s truly important,” Latheefa said.
“It’s particularly disturbing that Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek herself has threatened ‘stern action’ against the school. As the Education Minister, she should have defended the school against these opportunistic attacks.”
Latheefa also highlighted the damaging impact on the school’s community, stating, “How demoralising for the staff, parents, and children, who now face undue pressure and attacks. This kind of treatment is scaring ordinary citizens away from proudly flying the flag.”
She called for the matter to be dropped.
“It was an honest mistake. There’s no need for any further investigations. Let the school and its students continue their vital educational work in peace.”
Meanwhile, SJKC Chung Hua has vowed to strengthen its flag-monitoring procedures and pledged its commitment to promoting patriotism and national symbols, with a series of patriotic activities planned throughout Malaysia’s National Month.
Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek had previously warned that the Ministry would take strict action once the investigation into the incident was complete. She stated that all parties had been reminded about the importance of correctly displaying the national flag and that no such incidents should occur again. – August 8, 2025