LETTERS: FOR most Malaysian students in the United Kingdom and Ireland, hearing the melodic tune of Negaraku brings back nostalgia.
Back in school, as we sang Negaraku while the Jalur Gemilang was being hoisted by the prefect, none of us understood what that piece of cloth meant to us.
It was only when we moved to a foreign land that we realised we had taken the unity and common love for the Jalur Gemilang for granted.
A sense of belonging is what most Malaysians studying abroad miss most.
This has led us to appreciate our motherland even more than when we were in Malaysia, with the hope that those at home, especially the younger generation, will appreciate the need to love and protect our nation.
The Jalur Gemilang embodies everything we love about our country.
Flags are a representation of a country, often flown at international events and treated with the utmost honour and respect by its citizens.
They are designed to signify hardships in the past and the fight for freedom, symbolising the authority and sovereignty of the land, as well as the peace and unity of its people.
Even though we are thousands of kilometres away, we cannot help but notice that there have been occasions where the Jalur Gemilang has been disrespected.
We were taken aback when an incorrectly designed Jalur Gemilang was displayed at the opening ceremony of the 28th Maba Milo Lum Mun Chak Cup, a basketball tournament.
The fact that similar cases have surfaced in the past few years has made us worried.
In January, singer Santesh Kumar displayed an altered Jalur Gemilang on his shirt on a local television programme, sparking outrage across the country.
In the same month, videos that went viral on Facebook showed Filipino lawyer-turned-politician Elly Pamatong burning the Jalur Gemilang on two occasions.
In 2016, nine Australian tourists stripped down to swimsuits decorated with the Malaysian flag, to celebrate the win of Australian Daniel Ricciardo at the F1 Malaysian Grand Prix.
Each case illustrates flag desecration. As Malaysians, we have the right to condemn such actions.
While the government and authorities have vowed to take action against delinquents, it is important to educate people about the history and meaning of the Jalur Gemilang.
The Jalur Gemilang, which has 14 alternating red and white
horizontal stripes, is an embodiment of the nation’s 13 member states and the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan.
Red and white represent courage and purity. The top left corner of the flag consists of a dark blue canton, on which a yellow crescent and a yellow 14-point star is seen.
Blue represents harmony of the people, and yellow the royal colour of Malay rulers.
The crescent moon acknowledges Malaysia’s official religion of Islam. Similar to the stripes, the 14-point star is another face of the Malaysian states and Federal Territories.
We commend the authorities for the firm stance in this issue. But we also urge them to consider additional measures to not only prosecute but also educate the delinquents by raising civic awareness.
No doubt fines or community service act as deterrents.
But there is a need for civic classes for those who have been prosecuted.
These civic classes should be conducted by a government institution to instil patriotism and devotion to our motherland in them.
We must reinforce the importance of civic education in schools. Start them young. Tackle the problem at the grassroots level.
Learn, understand and appreciate the chronicles and true meaning of the national flag. Let the Jalur Gemilang soar high with pride and honour.
HARIS DANIAL AND EUAN THUM
Executive members, United Kingdom and Eire Council (UKEC) 2019/2020
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times