MEMBERS of the public have been urged to lodge police reports over a group’s display of the Jalur Gemilang upside down during a protest in Melbourne, with Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak) Datuk Mustapha Sakmud warning that the act could damage Malaysians’ reputation abroad.
Mustapha said the action by a group identifying itself as Sabah Sarawak Keluar Malaysia (SSKM) in Australia did not reflect the civilised and courteous values of Sabahans and Sarawakians.
“The MADANI Government guarantees freedom of expression. However, freedom does not mean that a person is free from the implications of their actions,” he said in a statement today.
The group displayed the national flag upside down during a demonstration held yesterday in conjunction with United Nations Day outside the Parliament of Victoria building in Melbourne.
It said the protest was intended to draw international attention to its demands concerning historical issues, the rights of the people, and the political future of Sabah and Sarawak.
Mustapha encouraged the public to submit formal police reports to enable an investigation under the relevant laws into social media content showing the flag displayed upside down.
He said the circumstances surrounding demands for the implementation of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) had changed significantly from more than 20 years ago, when the issue was considered sensitive.
He added that 12 matters relating to MA63 had been resolved during nearly four years of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s administration.
Sabah’s interim special grant had also increased from RM26.7 million to RM1.5 billion annually, while negotiations over the state’s claim to 40 per cent of net revenue collected by the Federal Government in Sabah were continuing. - October 25, 2026