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A group of Malaysians believed to be from Sabah and Sarawak who displayed the Jalur Gemilang upside down in Australia risks damaging the reputation of Malaysians studying and working there, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak Affairs) Mustapha Sakmud.
Referring to the group calling itself Sabah Sarawak Keluar Malaysia (SSKM) Australia, Mustapha said the act disrespected the national symbol and did not reflect the courteous and cultured nature of Sabahans and Sarawakians.
“The Madani government guarantees freedom of speech. However...
A group of Malaysians believed to be from Sabah and Sarawak who displayed the Jalur Gemilang upside down in Australia risks damaging the reputation of Malaysians studying and working there, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak Affairs) Mustapha Sakmud.
Referring to the group calling itself Sabah Sarawak Keluar Malaysia (SSKM) Australia, Mustapha said the act disrespected the national symbol and did not reflect the courteous and cultured nature of Sabahans and Sarawakians.
“The Madani government guarantees freedom of speech. However, freedom does not mean one is free from the implications of their actions,” he said in a statement quoted by Berita Harian today.
Mustapha was commenting on the group’s upside-down display of the Jalur Gemilang during a demonstration in conjunction with United Nations Day outside Victoria Parliament House in Melbourne yesterday.
The group said the demonstration aimed to draw international attention to historical questions, the rights of the people, and the political future of Sabah and Sarawak.
Mustapha urged the public to lodge police reports so that social media content showing the national flag upside down could be investigated under relevant laws.
He said the situation had changed from more than 20 years ago, when calls for the implementation of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) were considered sensitive and some people were detained and faced legal action.
“Today, the rights of Sabah and Sarawak can be discussed openly and have even become a key agenda of the Madani government,” he said.
Mustapha said 12 matters related to MA63 had been resolved in nearly four years under Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration.
He added that the interim special grant to Sabah had increased from RM26.7 million to RM1.5 billion annually, while negotiations over Sabah’s claim to 40 percent of net federal revenue collected in the state were ongoing.
“The public can judge for themselves the outcome of the struggle through negotiations and action compared with provocations like this,” he said.
Social media users condemn stunt
Earlier, photos and videos of the demonstration, shared on the Facebook page Sabah Sarawak Keluar Malaysia SKMM, drew criticism from Malaysian social media users.
The images showed individuals holding Sabah and Sarawak flags and posters describing Malaya as colonisers, alongside images of the Jalur Gemilang torn or displayed upside down.
Other posters claimed Sabah and Sarawak would bring questions about their rights to the UN.
Some commenters described the group as traitors and questioned their loyalty to Malaysia. Others, including users from Sabah and Sarawak, said the national flag should be respected regardless of the cause being pursued.
Some also called the demonstration embarrassing and urged that issues concerning the rights of Sabah and Sarawak be resolved through proper channels.
Others urged the Royal Malaysia Police to investigate and the MCMC to act against the group’s social media account, including by blocking it.