Should VIPs and public face same penalty for flag errors?

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Public and VIPs face different penalties for Jalur Gemilang errors, says MP

Kepong Member of Parliament Lim Lip Eng has accused the police of applying double standards in cases involving the display of the Jalur Gemilang, highlighting a perceived disparity in how ordinary citizens and those associated with VIPs or government agencies are treated. This difference in treatment was exemplified by contrasting incidents in Kulai and Perak, where similar errors in flag display led to vastly different police responses. Lim asserted that such inconsistency amounts to favouritism rather than justice.
Contrasting Remand and Statement Recording

In one instance, two members of the public in Kulai were detained and subjected to a four-day remand, along with urine tests, following an incident involving the Jalur Gemilang. Conversely, in a separate incident at the Perak MCA headquarters, where the national flag was displayed upside down, individuals involved had their statements recorded by the police without being detained. The Perak MCA chairman attributed the upside-down flag display to an unintentional mistake that was immediately rectified, and the staff member responsible subsequently resigned.
Acceptance of "Technical Error" Explanations

Further illustrating the alleged double standard, Lim cited a case involving the Kuala Terengganu City Council, which had displayed a Jalur Gemilang missing the crescent and star. In that situation, the explanation of a "technical error" was accepted by authorities, and no arrests were reported. This contrasts sharply with the harsher treatment seemingly meted out to ordinary individuals in other flag-related incidents.
Call for Consistent Application of Law

Lim Lip Eng argued that if a mistake in displaying the Jalur Gemilang is genuinely unintentional, promptly corrected, and accompanied by an apology, no arrests should be made. He posited that the police should not be lenient with "VIPs" and government bodies while taking stringent action against ordinary citizens for similar oversights. The Member of Parliament called for the Inspector-General of Police to explain this discrepancy in handling such cases, suggesting that failure to provide a satisfactory explanation could warrant the IGP's resignation.

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Should VIPs and public face same penalty for flag errors?

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