Minister cites patriotism to justify RM8.4m flag pins, but do students still wear them?

What justifies spending RM8.4 million on Jalur Gemilang pins for students?

This was among the questions raised by PAS’ Arau MP Shahidan Kassim, who sought answers from Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek on the controversial expenditure and whether her ministry had conducted any cost-benefit analysis and studied its effectiveness.

In a written parliamentary reply yesterday, Fadhlina did not directly explain the necessity of the expenditure, but said that the pin-on badges were part of the Education Ministry’s efforts to nurture patriotism, love for the country, and a sense of national identity among students.

“Its implementation complements the civic and national education integrated into the curriculum, co-curricular activities, and other relevant programmes within education institutions under the education ministry,” she added.

A quick check by Malaysiakini this morning with 25 parents found that only three said their children were still wearing flag pins to school, while four others said they had sewn flag badges onto their uniforms.

One father, who wished to be known as Nizam, opined that the allocation for the pins could have been better used in improving school canteens.

Controversial pins

In March last year, the Education Ministry issued a circular requiring all students at institutions under the ministry to wear national flag badges.

The guidelines, which the cabinet approved on Feb 14 that year, specified the material the badge should be made of, its dimensions, how students should align it with their name tags, and instructions to replace it if damaged or lost.

The initiative drew criticism over the use of public funds, with Mas Gading MP Mordi Bimol pointing out that the RM8.4 million allocation for the badges exceeded the RM3 million allocated for installing CCTV cameras in schools last year.

MCA also raised concerns about the additional financial burden, practicality, and safety risks associated with the pin-on badges, as well as a lack of transparency over the companies involved in the tender process.

'It's free, just wear them'

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim responded to the criticism by saying the issue should not be politicised and that the badges would be given out for free.

“What’s so hard? The badge is given for free. Just put it on,” he had said, adding that the Education Ministry’s proposal had actually been delayed for a long time.

However, a month after announcing the policy, the ministry denied that any disciplinary action would be taken against students for failing to wear the badges.

Free Malaysia Today reported that, in an FAQ on the initiative, the ministry described the badges as not being an “enforcement measure”.

This only raised further questions about the directive’s compulsory status and the rationale for the expenditure in the first place.

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