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What's The Penalty for Defacing The National Flag?


So Sharifah Mazlina is back from her arduos journey to the North Pole, and adds to her achievement of getting to the South Pole exactly three years ago to the month.

She is the first Asian woman to achieve the "pole-to=pole" mission, was the first Asian woman to get to the South Pole, first woman in the world to cross the Atlantic in a solo ski-sail expedition.

Congratulations to her. She's one tough lady I suppose, as not many people, man included would have braved those journeys. It's expensive too I am certain. Oh... she had sponsors.

Anyway, she was "live" on TV minutes ago as TV3 interviewed as a large crowd of "supporters" gathered to greet her arrival (they were suspiciously wearing some corporate uniform though).

At the end of the interview, she raised the Jalur Gemilang, and she pointed out ink stamps that were clearly on the yellow crest moon and the multi-pointed yellow star. These apparently marked her north and south successes.

I am no legal expert, but isn't defacing the national flag an offence. A more famous Malaysian of whom I am truly proud of almost got sent behind bars for his artistic interpretations of a key national blackmark:

During the civil turmoil of May 13, 1969, Ibrahim stumbled across a Malaysian flag lying pitifully on the ground. He picked it up and subsequently used it as a canvas to record the event. That painting, appropriately entitled May 13 1969 nearly put Ibrahim behind bars for 'defacing' the Malaysian flag.
See context here.

Back when the Malaysian football league was a lot more palatable and professional than its present-day porfessional form, my friends and I I always had either the state or national flags for us to take to the stadiums. And we were always aware of the need to ensure the flag does not touch the ground, and that it was treated with respect.

Perhaps because of titles such as Asia's first or world's first affors some form of invincibility too.

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