Post-flag blunder rallies: Cops urge cancellation, Akmal defiant

Police want all quarters who plan to gather at a hardware store in Penang today, following an uproar over a flag blunder, to cancel their plans.

In a brief statement this morning, Inspector-General of Police Khalid Ismail said the counter-rallies risked harming the safety of the local community.

DAP’s Penang branch, as well as lawyer Zaid Malek, have said that they will be at the store today to stand their ground against Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh and his followers - who have been pressuring the store owner for hoisting the Jalur Gemilang upside down.

DAP said it would be handing out flags to Akmal in an effort to counter hate with unity, while Zaid would also be advising the firebrand politician to seek peace.

Akmal had originally planned to “teach” the store owner how to put up the flag properly, but cancelled this after DAP put up a giant flag at the premises.

Instead, he said he will be at the venue to look at the flag.

“We’re only going to see flags and eat nasi kandar,” he said in a Facebook post this morning, in response to a similar call by Penang police for the rallies to be called off.

His post included a winking emoji.

The Penang incident caught public attention on Saturday after a viral 20-second video showed the hardware store owner carrying the flag upside down on a pole, while another man recorded him.

The owner, Feng Jin Zhen, later explained that he was measuring the length of an iron pole while hanging the national flag and did not notice that the flag was upside down. He said he immediately corrected his mistake upon noticing.

Police had arrested Feng on Sunday to facilitate a probe and the investigation papers were sent to prosecutors for consideration on Monday.

Khalid said today that police had also investigated those who disseminated the video of Feng and the flag.

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