PETALING JAYA: Jementah state assemblywoman Ng Kor Sim (pic) has called for empathy and forgiveness in response to the recent public outrage over a school in Port Dickson that mistakenly flew the national flag upside down.
In a statement, today, she argued that genuine patriotism includes empathy and that the public reaction should not overshadow the values the country’s Independence Day spirit stands for.
While not defending the wrongful display of the national flag, she highlighted that the mistake was made by a worker with an intellectual disability and was subsequently corrected within two hours.
The school has since apologised and committed to stronger oversight, she added.
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Ng reminded the public of the “Kesopanan dan Kesusilaan” principle of the Rukun Negara, questioning why people were mocking the actions of a person with an intellectual disability.
She stated that patriotism is not only about getting the flag right but also about how the public responds when things go wrong.
“Respect for the Jalur Gemilang is critical. But context matters. Vulnerability, quick correction, and sincere remorse point to humility, not hostility.
“This is not the time to raise the political temperature for short-term gain. In fact, doing so goes against the spirit of Merdeka envisioned by our founding fathers,” she said.
She also urged Malaysians to reaffirm that national pride is rooted in unity, dignity, and compassion, calling for people to “rise above an outrage-first mentality” and for opportunists to “stop politicising this issue”.
She cited past incidents, such as when the Ministry of Education displayed the wrong version of the national flag in a public exam report and a similar error by a Chinese newspaper, noting that many Malaysians accepted these mistakes as unintentional and without malice.
“Patriotism is not only about getting the flag right. It is also about how we respond when things go wrong.
“In the spirit of Merdeka, I urge all Malaysians to rise above an outrage-first mentality and for opportunists to stop politicising this issue. There is strength in empathy, and maturity in measured responses,” she added.