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Focus Malaysia
07-08-2025
- Politics
- Focus Malaysia
Jalur Gemilang debacle: True patriotism includes empathy and forgiveness
A KEY component of patriotism is empathy and forgiveness. I was therefore saddened that despite a public apology for mistakenly flying the Jalur Gemilang upside down, a school in Port Dickson continues to be ridiculed and its error politicised. I am not defending the wrongful display of our national symbols. The Jalur Gemilang must be treated with the utmost respect. But let us also remember that the mistake was made by a worker with an intellectual disability (OKU). It was corrected within two hours after it was publicly highlighted. The school has also since apologised and committed to stronger oversight. Yes, a mistake was made and it is not a trivial one. But our reaction should not overshadow the values our Merdeka spirit stands for. One of the tenets of the Rukun Negara is 'Kesopanan dan Kesusilaan' (Good Behaviour and Morality). Have we forgotten that? Why are we stooping so low as to mock the actions of an OKU? As we count down to August 31, let us reaffirm that our national pride is rooted in unity, dignity, and compassion. Flying the national flag as a display of patriotism must be complemented by empathy, kindness, and forgiveness. 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. We must learn to move forward just as many Malaysians did when the Ministry of Education displayed the wrong version of the Jalur Gemilang in an SPM report. That, too, was a serious error, but many accepted it as unintentional and made without malice. There was also a similar, but grave error made by a Chinese newspaper. 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. ‒ Aug 7, 2025 Ng Kor Sim is the State Assemblywoman for Jementah, Johor. The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia. Main image: Reuters/Scanpix
The Sun
07-08-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Jementah assemblyman urges empathy over outrage in flag incident
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. 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.
New Straits Times
04-06-2025
- General
- New Straits Times
Young Jementah talents claim national robotics title
SEGAMAT: Four primary school pupils from Jementah emerged as national champions in a robotics programming contest, showcasing their promising talents. Jementah assemblyman Ng Kor Sim said the win was made possible with the strategic support given for the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematic (STEM) education. The students, competing in two pairs, secured first and second place at the National Robotics League (NRL) 2025, held at Paradigm Mall, Johor Baru, from May 31 to June 1. First prize went to Tan Hong Jun of SJKC Jementah 1 and Vince Lee Voo Hee of SJKC Jabi, while Yew Chen Xu (SJKC Jementah 1) and Kayden Yeo Vv Jay (SJKC Jabi) came in second. All four, aged between 10 and 12, were first-time competitors and products of Ng's grassroots coding programme, launched in 2023 to introduce digital literacy and robotics to young students in her rural constituency. "These kids are proof that talent is not confined to the big cities," said Ng. Ng's office subsidised RM50 per student monthly for lessons, with additional RM30 support from education tech firm Zeniustech, which also co-organised the competition. Each team was required to programme autonomous robots capable of tracing lines, navigating obstacles, and executing complex turns, - a task designed to test coding fluency, logical reasoning, and problem-solving skills. The winning team walked away with RM1,000 in prize money, while the runners-up earned RM500. The event drew over 500 teams and 460 participants nationwide across 14 categories, with RM35,000 in prizes up for grabs. International backers included South Korean robotics company Alux.
