Fahmi: Fly the Jalur Gemilang with pride
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians should not be afraid or intimidated by any party to fly the Jalur Gemilang, says Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.
He said the people should instead display the flag with pride.
'Be brave when you wave the national flag. Do not let any party threaten or intimidate you for putting up the flag,' he told a press conference while attending a community event in Lembah Pantai here yesterday.
Fahmi was commenting on the recent incident in Penang, where a shop owner came under fire after images of him hoisting the Jalur Gemilang upside-down went viral.
He said some people might be hesitant to fly the flag because a small group of individuals had tried to stir up sentiment and exploit the situation to intimidate others.
Women proudly waving the Jalur Gemilang during the event. — RAJA FAISAL HISHAN/The Star
Fahmi urged Malaysians to help one another instead of making such issues viral.
'Let's always remember to understand each other, maintain a harmonious environment and obey the rules,' he said.
Fahmi also called on the public not to take the law into their own hands, urging them to trust the authorities to carry out their duties.
At the event, Fahmi handed over Madani aid, which included monetary assistance and household items, to 10 families.
He said the community programme, held over the weekend and focused on traditional arts and cultural activities, was aimed at rekindling society's love, particularly among the younger generation, for these activities.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
27 minutes ago
- The Sun
Stories that shaped us
THERE is a question that often arises when something big happens – a historic moment, a national milestone, a collective high. It usually begins like this: 'Where were you when...?' Most of the time, it is not about geography but memory – about anchoring ourselves to something larger, remembering not just what happened but how it made us feel. For me, one such moment was the night of the 1992 Thomas Cup finals. Malaysia versus Indonesia. Badminton, of course. It was a Saturday, and I was a 17-year-old schoolboy at Malay College Kuala Kangsar. I watched it from the common room of our hostel – surrounded by boys in kain pelikat, clutching pillows, Milo mugs and SPM notes – all eyes fixed on a grainy television screen, struggling to keep up with the speed of the shuttle. We won. We brought the cup home after 25 years. And for a few beautiful hours, everything else faded – prep class, homesickness, SPM trial stress – replaced by a kind of joy that felt bigger than sport, bigger than school; something national, something shared. That moment and others like it become personal chapters in a larger story: the story of how we remember Malaysia. Another such chapter came in May 2018, when Malaysians went to the polls in what would become one of the most significant general elections in our history. For the first time, the ruling coalition was changed. Not through force or upheaval but through the quiet, determined power of the vote. People queued in the heat, some for hours. Some travelled across borders, taking buses and flights home just to mark an X on a ballot. There was tension, yes. But there was also something else: hope. Hope that this country belonged to its people – that we were no longer just passengers but co-pilots, that power could change hands peacefully and that we, the rakyat, are the ones responsible for deciding the direction of this country moving forward. You didn't need to be in Putrajaya or Dataran Merdeka to feel it; you could have been watching from a living room in Penang or a mamak stall in Johor Bahru or a hostel room in Sarawak. It did not matter where you were because the moment still reached you. That is what makes these memories powerful. They become shared reference points in the timeline of our lives. Of course, not every Merdeka memory is tied to politics or spectacle. Sometimes, it is quieter – a flag being raised in your neighbourhood, a conversation over teh tarik about what independence really means, a late-night drive on empty roads, with patriotic songs playing softly on the radio. These small moments matter too because nationhood is built not just on events but on experience. It is not just the milestones we remember; it is the way they made us feel connected, even when we were far apart. And that is the thread I keep coming back to: our shared experiences. You and I may have grown up in different towns, spoken different dialects, attended different schools but the moment the Sidek brothers stepped onto the court or when the results rolled in after GE14, we were there – one in spirit. Yet, these memories, whether personal or collective, are slowly fading. We live in an era of fast timelines and short attention spans. Moments come and go, swallowed by algorithms and speed. The things that once glued us together are being replaced by smaller, more personalised stories – meaningful, yes, but often disconnected from the larger whole. That is why I believe now, more than ever, we need to start recording our stories, not for history books, but for each other. For the generations who did not grow up with the Thomas Cup or the Reformasi years or who never saw a transfer of power that felt truly earned. It does not have to be big, just honest. Write about where you were when something mattered. Tell your children what Merdeka meant to your parents. Share with a friend that memory you have always carried but never voiced, because if we don't pass these stories on, who will? So this Merdeka, ask someone: 'Where were you when...?' and listen carefully. Then share your own. Memories, like nationhood, live best when it is passed from hand to hand. Dr Nahrizul Adib Kadri is a professor of biomedical engineering at the Faculty of Engineering, and the principal of Ibnu Sina Residential College, Universiti Malaya. Comments: letters@
Malay Mail
an hour ago
- Malay Mail
Anwar warns against exploiting deaths of Zara Qairina and other alleged bully victims for politics
PUTRAJAYA, Aug 18 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today reminded Malaysians not to take advantage of the deaths of Zara Qairina Mahathir and Wan Ahmad Faris Wan Abdul Rahman for political or personal interests. Speaking at the Prime Minister's Department monthly assembly, he said speculation and false information on social media following the incidents had unnecessarily heightened public unease. 'Social media, especially when emotions are high, can exacerbate the spread of misinformation. I have spoken in Parliament to caution against membina mahligai di pusara,' New Straits Times quoted him saying, using a Malay idiom for exploiting tragedies for gain. Anwar admitted that it is hard to control public sentiment on the social media. He cited a recent case where a person posing as a pathologist misled millions and stirred fear among families, friends, and colleagues. 'We must not exploit someone's death for political purposes or mislead the public,' he added. This comes after tens of thousands rallied nationwide over the weekend in a show of solidarity over the unsolved death of Zara Qairina. The death of 13-year-old, a SMKA Tun Mustapha student in Papar, Sabah, after an alleged bullying incident has sparked public outrage nationwide and renewed calls for safer schools. Zara Qairina was confirmed dead at Queen Elizabeth I Hospital, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, on July 17 after being found severely injured and unconscious in a drain near her school dormitory in Papar at 4am on July 16. The inquest into her death begins at the Kota Kinabalu Coroner's Court in Sabah today. Meanwhile, Wan Ahmad Faris Wan Abdul Rahman was found dead in the school toilet in Kok Lanas, Kelantan 12 years ago. Also under the spotlight was Syamsul Haris Shamsudin, a Universiti Teknologi Malaysia student who died during basic army training as a cadet in the Reserve Officers Training Unit (Palapes) in Ulu Tiram, Johor, on July 28.
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Fahmi: Fly the Jalur Gemilang with pride
Fostering kinship: Fahmi trying his hand at a traditional board game at the Program Penyemarakan Seni Budaya @ Komuniti Pantai Dalam 2025. — RAJA FAISAL HISHAN/The Star KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians should not be afraid or intimidated by any party to fly the Jalur Gemilang, says Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil. He said the people should instead display the flag with pride. 'Be brave when you wave the national flag. Do not let any party threaten or intimidate you for putting up the flag,' he told a press conference while attending a community event in Lembah Pantai here yesterday. Fahmi was commenting on the recent incident in Penang, where a shop owner came under fire after images of him hoisting the Jalur Gemilang upside-down went viral. He said some people might be hesitant to fly the flag because a small group of individuals had tried to stir up sentiment and exploit the situation to intimidate others. Women proudly waving the Jalur Gemilang during the event. — RAJA FAISAL HISHAN/The Star Fahmi urged Malaysians to help one another instead of making such issues viral. 'Let's always remember to understand each other, maintain a harmonious environment and obey the rules,' he said. Fahmi also called on the public not to take the law into their own hands, urging them to trust the authorities to carry out their duties. At the event, Fahmi handed over Madani aid, which included monetary assistance and household items, to 10 families. He said the community programme, held over the weekend and focused on traditional arts and cultural activities, was aimed at rekindling society's love, particularly among the younger generation, for these activities.
