Take broader view of patriotism like eradicating graft, poverty
Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Faculty of Communication and Media Studies senior lecturer Abdul Aziz Azizam said patriotism can be expressed through everyday actions, including prioritising local products, keeping the environment clean, respecting other religions and ethnicities and obeying the law.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malay Mail
30 minutes ago
- Malay Mail
Let's move on from ‘Jalur Gemilang' issue, says Penang CM
GEORGE TOWN, Aug 14 — Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said it is time to move on from the upside-down Jalur Gemilang issue. He said reports were made, investigations were conducted and various parties have already voiced their criticisms. 'The investigation was completed and investigation papers submitted to the AGC, so I believe this is enough so let's move forward,' he said to reporters on the sidelines after launching AMD at GBS By The Sea today. He said Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Akmal Saleh is welcome to come to Penang to enjoy its food. 'He is most welcomed to come and enjoy our food, nasi kandar, we have durians too, as long as he doesn't stir trouble,' he said. Akmal had previously planned to hold a 'class' for the shop owner in Kepala Batas who had put up the flag upside down. However, after a police warning, he cancelled the event and posted on his social media that he is only coming to Penang for the food and to see the big Jalur Gemilang put up on the shop frontage by DAP. The hardware store in Jalan Bertam Perdana recently went viral for flying the national flag upside down. The 59-year-old shop owner, who was investigated, reportedly said it was an unintentional mistake while measuring the flagpole and that he had corrected the mistake later. Following the controversy, DAP announced that it would sponsor a giant Jalur Gemilang for the shop and mobilised Penang party members to distribute 831 flags.
Focus Malaysia
2 hours ago
- Focus Malaysia
How Zara's untimely tragic death can come back to haunt GRS-PH election chances
THE death of 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir in a Papar boarding school dormitory should have been treated as an urgent matter of justice from the very start. Instead, the weeks of silence, the absence of an immediate autopsy, and the eventual need to exhume her body under orders from the Attorney-General have given this case a political life of its own. It is a story that could prove costly for Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) and its federal partner Pakatan Harapan (PH). Public outrage has not only refused to die down but spread across Sabah's urban centres and beyond. The protests in Sandakan, Lahad Datu, Tawau, Semporna and Labuan drew thousands, united by grief and anger over perceived mishandling of the case. Many are not just asking for justice for Zara but also questioning whether powerful interests are being protected. While no evidence has surfaced to prove elite interference, the perception alone is politically damaging. This is especially so when a state election must be held soon in a climate where no political parties or blocs are expected to outright win. The truth is, every fresh protest and every social media post hints at a cover-up and this makes the ground riskier for GRS. Holding polls in the shadow of this case risks turning the election into a referendum on the government's accountability and moral authority. Rough patch Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor's administration was already dealing with a credibility gap on bread-and-butter issues like water and electricity disruptions. Now, the Zara case has handed the opposition an emotive, high-visibility issue that resonates with both urban and semi-urban voters. For PH which is teaming up with GRS in the polls, the political calculus is just as tricky. The former's power base lies in Sabah's urban areas where political awareness is high and anger over Zara's death is most visible. Urban voters may punish PH for perceived cover-up of the tragedy, if not for sheer incompetence in managing the issue. To rub salt in the wound, the Education Ministry recently announced a RM8.4 mil plan to give five million pupils Jalur Gemilang badges. This only reinforces the view that the ministry has its priorities misplaced when it should be focusing on tackling bullying in schools – speculated to be the reason for Zara's death. Opponents such as Warisan and even UMNO can be expected to pounce on the issue. They will position themselves as defenders of justice and truth while painting GRS and PH as complicit in dragging their feet by hinting at cover-ups. As the call for Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek to step down over failure to uphold justice for Zara gathers momentum, the issue could also deepen the unease among GRS' traditional supporters who are already uncomfortable with the coalition teaming up with a Peninsular-based bloc. It is still possible for the GRS-PH bloc to contain the political fall-out but the window is closing. A swift, transparent investigation that delivers clear accountability would help. Anything less will feed the narrative of a political class protecting its own. Zara's death has already moved from being a criminal investigation to a symbol of political and institutional trust. For GRS and PH, it is not just about solving a case. It is about convincing voters that the government stands above vested interests. Fail that test and Zara's name may reverberate in every ceramah, every campaign leaflet – and possibly, be cited as a contributing factor for GRS-PH's electoral defeat in the post-mortem findings. – Aug 14,2025 Main image credit: Sinar Daily
Malay Mail
4 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Only here for big flag and nasi kandar, Umno Youth chief says after IGP warns against Jalur Gemilang clash in Penang
KEPALA BATAS, Aug 14 — Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh has today suggested that he was not out to cause trouble with a planned event on Jalur Gemilang in Bertam here. In a brief post on Facebook, he said the wing's members are just here for the scenery and food. 'We just came to see the big flag and have some nasi kandar,' he wrote, attaching a news article citing Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail. 'The big flag' refers to the giant Jalur Gemilang hung by DAP at a hardware store on Jalan Bertam Perdana, which recently went viral for flying the national flag upside down. Earlier, the police urged the cancellation of a planned gathering in Bertam here today over the issue of Malaysian flag, to prevent any confrontation between opposing groups. PDRM said the move was to safeguard the safety of the local community and maintain public order, after both Umno Youth and DAP planned to host events on the matter. The controversy began when a 59-year-old hardware shop owner in Kepala Batas, Penang, was investigated after the Jalur Gemilang was seen hanging upside-down outside his premises. The shop owner has reportedly said it was an unintentional mistake made while measuring a flagpole, which he corrected soon after. Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Akmal Saleh previously said it planned to hold a 'class' for the Penang shop owner, but later cancelled it after a warning by the police. DAP then announced it would sponsor a giant Jalur Gemilang for the shop and mobilise Penang party members to distribute 831 flags, should anyone attempt to stir trouble.
