Cops launch probe into Chinese flag-waving incident at Johor cultural festival amid rising tensions from Perak episode

JOHOR BARU, Oct 29 — Johor police have initiated investigations into another alleged waving of Chinese flags during an international cultural festival held recently in Taman Sentosa, here.

Johor Baru South police chief Assistant Commissioner Raub Selamat said the police have opened investigation papers regarding the October 20 incident, which was widely shared on social media.

He stated that the probe was initiated following a police report filed yesterday.

“The investigation paper was initiated under Section 3(1) of the National Emblems (Control of Display) Act 1949, Section 505(b) of the Penal Code, and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.

“Investigators will call the event’s organisers as well as witnesses to assist in the probe,” he said in a statement late last night.

Under Section 3(1) of the National Emblems (Control of Display) Act 1949, it is an offence for any person to display any foreign emblems in public or within any school.

The other sections involved public mischief and the use of network facilities or network services for posting offensive remarks.

Raub also requested that anyone with information on the incident contact the Johor Baru South district police headquarters hotline at 07-2182323.

He was responding to a police report regarding the flag-waving incident involving a Chinese flag at the Malaysia International Guan Gong Cultural Festival in Taman Sentosa.

It is understood that the international event was organised as a cultural event and involved the participation of more than 10 countries.

Melaka Deputy Speaker and Ayer Keroh Assemblyman Kerk Chee Yee was reported to have attended the event. He defended the flag-waving, stating that delegates from other countries waved their respective national flags.

Yesterday, PAS Youth leader Nurul Islam Mohamed Yusoff revealed the alleged incident and noted that a similar event also took place in Teluk Intan, Perak, last Thursday.

Nurul Islam, who is also the PAS central research and policy department director, called on Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi to explain the incident, as it involved Kerk as a senior representative of the Melaka state government.

Last Friday, the Perak police confirmed that investigators had summoned the organisers to record their statements concerning a video of flag-waving involving the Chinese flag at the Malaysia International Guan Gong Cultural Festival in Teluk Intan on Thursday night.