Malaysia’s Jalur Gemilang back in spotlight amid latest flag controversy ahead of Aug 31

JOHOR BAHRU – Malaysian authorities have urged the public to follow official guidelines on how to display the Jalur Gemilang ahead of Independence Day on Aug 31, following a recent controversy in Terengganu and a string of incidents involving the country’s flag since 2025.

The latest incident emerged on Aug 7, when a video circulated on social media showing a large Jalur Gemilang at Batu Buruk beach in Terengganu apparently missing the crescent moon and 14-point star on one side. The incident prompted questions from netizens and politicians, including calls for an investigation into the matter.

The Jalur Gemilang, or “Stripes of Glory”, is a prominent national symbol in Malaysia’s multi-ethnic society. The flag is widely displayed at schools, government buildings, homes and businesses, particularly during the Independence Day celebrations.

Terengganu Menteri Besar Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar told local media on Aug 10 that the incident was a “technical error” and an isolated case.

“I feel that it is not deliberate. It is a case that is isolated and unintentional,” he was quoted by Berita Harian as saying on Aug 10.

“We will investigate and ensure that this matter will not happen again, regardless of whether the public or anyone else put up the flag,” he added.

Terengganu authorities later clarified that the flag originally bore the crescent and star, but the symbols had come loose from their stitching following strong winds. The flag has since been taken down.

In a local radio programme aired on Aug 10, Azwarni Herni Che Noh, Deputy Director of the Communication Services and Community Development Division at Malaysia’s Information Department (Japen), urged Malaysians to refer to official guidelines published on the Merdeka360 Independence Day portal, and on Japen’s website, ahead of the Hari Merdeka celebrations on Aug 31.

Aug 31 marks the anniversary of the Federation of Malaya’s independence from British rule in 1957.

Azwarni said the guidelines would help the public avoid mistakes when displaying the Jalur Gemilang and uphold the dignity of the national symbol.

Responding to media questions about the rules governing how to display the flag in public, including depictions of the Jalur Gemilang on car magnets and decals, Azwarni said Malaysians should refer to the official guidance.

“These are among some of the issues we often hear about, where several incidents have happened involing the use or display of the Jalur Gemilang, which at times had not been done so properly,” Azwarni said during the programme.

She also said a Jalur Gemilang car magnet released this year should be placed on the passenger’s side of a vehicle rather than the driver’s side.

“If we (the public) are unsure, it’s best to refer to official information... this small step will help prevent mistakes such as installing the Jalur Gemilang upside down, using a worn or damaged flag, or displaying it inappropriately,” Azwarni added.

Repeated flag controversies have drawn political attention

The incident prompted a strong rebuke from the king and an investigation by Malaysian authorities. Two editors were suspended before the newspaper issued a public apology.

Other incidents have since become flashpoints in Malaysia’s politically sensitive Malay-Chinese discourse.

In August 2025, UMNO Youth chief Akmal Salleh, for example, called for action against a Chinese shopkeeper in Penang who was caught displaying the flag upside down.

Several months later in January, a foreign national employed at an industrial facility in Johor was detained and investigated over an inverted Jalur Gemilang displayed outside the premises.

Other recent cases have included images circulating on social media of a pickup truck bearing an upside-down Jalur Gemilang decal.

The owner, a Malay woman, publicly apologized and explained that the magnetic sticker accidentally flipped after falling off during a car wash and being replaced incorrectly by an employee.

The latest flag incident in Terengganu prompted questions from netizens and politicians over what they described as a muted response from hardline politicians.

In response, UMNO Youth chief Akmal Salleh took to social media on Aug 10 to call on Samsuri to “find evidence” and “look for stitching marks” showing that the crescent and star had fallen off, after a rival Democratic Action Party lawmaker criticised what he described as Akmal’s deafening silence on the matter.

“My principles are steadfast regarding what happened in Penang where the flag was intentionally flown upside down despite the fact that the flag is stitched up at the end, but it was deliberately displayed upside down,” Akmal said.

Akmal said his position was consistent with his earlier stance on the Penang case, where he had called for action over the deliberate display of an upside-down flag. He added that the same principle should apply in Terengganu.

Political observer Dr Oh Ei Sun told The Straits Times that the flag issue had become a “convenient” political tool for rival political groups.

“The way flags are displayed or how the flag is ‘treated’ has somehow become some sort of a proxy or boogeyman for politicization,” he said.

“This is in order to make a certain political cohort or an ethnic group appear less patriotic than the other, or to challenge the sovereignty of a certain supremacy enjoyed by one group.”