The upside-down Jalur Gemilang incident at a Chinese school in Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan, ignited sharply contrasting reactions from two familiar voices - fiery Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh and conciliatory academic Tajuddin Rasdi.

True to form, Akmal, known for his hardline posturing, questioned whether the school’s apology was sincere or merely performative.

The Merlimau assemblyperson demanded...