There has been an alarming number of cases in which establishments have accidentally displayed the Malaysian flag upside down. Legally, there is no specific law governing how the Jalur Gemilang should be presented, but it should still be handled with respect and dignity. With Independence Day approaching later this month, some individuals have chosen to stir controversy by posting fake images showing others with the flag inverted.
National athlete Fariha Razak has unfortunately become the latest target of these anonymous individuals, after a photo of her and her team went viral on social media, appearing to show them with the Malaysian flag upside down. She quickly took to Instagram to clarify that the image was fake. Here’s her explanation:
Yesterday (Wednesday, 13 August), netball player Fariha Razak expressed her disappointment and anger at those who, in her words, had taken the ongoing upside-down Jalur Gemilang issue a little too far. She condemned individuals who had taken an original 2016 photo of her team celebrating their win at the Asian Netball Championship, in which they were posing with the Malaysian flag, and doctored it to make it appear as though they were holding it upside down.
“That was diabolical of you! What was the purpose of doing this? Politics? If you want to criticise those who actually did something wrong, that’s fine, but don’t go around making fake images just to make yourself look good!,” she said in the video. She firmly reminded everyone that Malaysia is meant to be a harmonious, multicultural country, and that creating such issues could risk dividing the people.
She added that she was deeply offended and upset that someone would go to such lengths to make Malaysian athletes, who have represented the country in various international tournaments, look bad. The video concluded with the athlete reminding everyone to fact-check before sharing anything on social media.
Since posting the video, many have shown support and condemned the individuals who created the fake viral image. Others advised Fariha to file a report with local authorities or MCMC to prevent further damage.
Watch the full video below:
Source: Instagram
