Flag gaffe concerns are about patriotism, not politics - Akmal tells Loke

Concerns raised over the latest Jalur Gemilang incident are a matter of patriotism and not politics, said Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh.

In a Facebook post, he appeared to hit back at DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke, who yesterday alleged that certain quarters were out to politicise an incident involving a Chinese-medium school where the national flag was flown upside down.

“To the politician who said this issue should not be politicised, you are the one who is politicising the matter.

“Because this is not a political issue; instead, this is a matter of patriotism,” Akmal (above) said.

The incident, which sparked public outrage, happened at SJKC Chung Hua in Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan, on Aug 1.

The school issued a public apology and claimed that it was caused by the carelessness of a staff member.

However, the backlash did not abate despite the apology, with several quarters, including Akmal, calling for stern action against those responsible.

‘Heads must roll’

Akmal also urged authorities to investigate Lukut assemblyperson Choo Ken Hwa’s claim that the incident was the result of a mistake by a disabled worker.

If the claim is true, he said, authorities should still take strong action against the school.

“For one, they allowed a disabled employee to install the flag without being supervised, so why did they give the responsibility to a disabled person instead of any other staff member?

“Secondly, they did not pay attention whatsoever after the flag was installed and allowed it to be (upside down).

“We do not want claims like intellectual disability being used as an excuse if such an incident were to happen again,” Akmal said.

The Umno leader urged the Education Ministry to investigate the identity and condition of the alleged disabled individual.

He also questioned whether a person with intellectual disability is allowed to work inside school premises.

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