Police heighten security ahead of anticipated gatherings over upside-down flag in Kepala Batas

The Star

3 days ago

KEPALA BATAS: The police have barricaded the road in front of the shop lots where two men were recorded raising the Jalur Gemilang upside-down at a hardware store, to prevent any untoward incidents.
Plainclothes police officers were seen as early as 1pm to block off the area after reports of a gathering there on Thursday evening (Aug 14).
One police officer, who declined to be named, said they expect a crowd to gather there at around 5 pm.
"We were told they would gather nearby and come in a convoy.
"We have blocked the road and all entry points to the row of shoplots. No one will be allowed to cross the tape.
"They can gather by the side," he said.
He said officers would be stationed at the location throughout the day.
"There are a few of us here right now and some doing rounds in the area," he said.
The row of about 10 shops either chose to remain closed or closed their doors early. The police had asked them to consider closing for the day the day before due to safety reasons.
The hardware shop that raised a Jalur Gemilang upside-down has been closed since Sunday (Aug 10).
The controversy began after a 21-second video clip filmed outside a hardware store in Kepala Batas surfaced on Saturday (Aug 9). It showed the Jalur Gemilang being hoisted upside-down by a man while the other recorded.
The incident sparked widespread public outrage.
It was reported that the 59-year-old man involved admitted to the error, explaining that he was merely measuring the flagpole height and had not yet secured the flag when the recording was made.
He claimed to have corrected the flag's orientation afterwards.
On Thursday, Bukit Aman advised all parties to cancel their plans to gather in Bertam, Kepala Batas, to protest against the incident.
IGP Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail stated that the police take seriously any issue that could threaten public safety and well-being.
"In the interest of preserving community safety and preventing confrontations between groups, we advise that the gathering be called off," he said.
The IGP stated that investigations are ongoing, with 38 reports lodged nationwide, including 17 in Penang and 21 in other states.
"The probe also covers action against individuals who recorded and shared the footage.
"The investigation paper was submitted to the Deputy Public Prosecutor on Monday (Aug 11) and is now under review," he said.