Police to probe upside-down Indonesian flag gaffe

JOHOR BAHRU: Police are invest igat ing the er ror of printing the Indonesian f lag upside- down in the souvenir book issued in conjunction with the grand opening of the 29th SEA Games at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur on Saturday night.

Bukit Aman federal police Special Branch director Datuk Seri Mohamad Fuzi Harun said the investigation was to identify the cause.

“Perhaps it was a technical error. However, we are investigating this matter and will take action as the incident should not have happened. We don’t want our neighbouring country, Indonesia, to feel hurt, so we need to take measures to ensure this does not recur in future,” he told reporters after witnessing the handing-over- ofduty to the new Johor police chief Datuk Mohd Khalil Kader Mohd by his predecessor Datuk Seri Wan Ahmad Najmuddin Mohd.

He said Malaysia- Indonesia relations were very important, with Indonesia also participating in the ongoing biennial SEA Games ( KL2017). The upsidedown image of the Indonesian flag in the souvenir book became viral on social websites, besides drawing criticism from various quarters including the republic’s Youth and Sports Minister Imam Nahrawi, who described the error as ‘very painful’.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, meanwhile, said in Teluk Intan that the upside- down image of the Indonesian flag in the souvenir book for the ongoing SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur (KL2017) was an error that was unintentional.

“We need to be open- minded about this matter. I believe it was not deliberately done,” he told reporters after opening the Teluk Intan Umno division delegates’ conference yesterday.

In Jakarta, Indonesian President Joko Widodo yesterday called on all parties not to blow the issue of the Indonesian f lag printed upside down in the 2017 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games booklet out of proportion.

The online media yesterday quoted the Indonesian president as saying that although the matter was regrettable, people in the country should not over-play the issue. “Don’t exaggerate it,” he said, as quoted by Detik.com. He said the Malaysian government, however, should formally apologise to Indonesia.

“We wait for an of f icial apology from the Malaysian government, as it concerns the pride and nationalistic spirit of our Indonesian people,” said the president, better known as Jokowi.

The 2017 Malaysia SEA Games Organising Committee ( Masoc), in a statement earlier yesterday, apologised to all Indonesians over the unintended mistake.

Malaysia’s Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, who is also Masoc chairman, also made a courtesy call on his Indonesian counterpart in Kuala Lumpur yesterday to apologise over the error on behalf of the committee.