ACCORDING to the Cambridge Dictionary, the phrase “same old, same old” refers to a boring routine that never changes or brings anything new.
The month of August seems to bring to surface the same old issues surrounding citizens’ patriotism or lack thereof which is tied to the flag-flying habits of certain communities.
It is no longer the sole preserve of firebrand UMNO Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh who used the upside down Jalur Gemilang controversy to stir up 3R (race, religion and royalty) sentiments.
Social media is still awash with examples of Malaysians’ apparent disregard for proper flag etiquette this so-called Merdeka month.
One such example is Threader @shehdilanun who complained loudly that it is only the beginning of the month and already the disrespectful types have begun to show their colours.
Proclaiming that offenders would trot out the usual “ignorance is bliss” excuses, this poster lashed out that such actions showed a complete lack of respect towards the country.
Similar posts have popped up denoting that rightists were keen to keep using this issue as a stick to beat the Chinese community with. The fear-mongering was clear – this is what happens when DAP (and by insinuation, the Chinese) gain political power.
The bigotry among this demographic was clear with comments such as this claiming that the law only applied to Malays who would land up behind bars. “It’s the fault of the government for not taking stern action,” grumbled one @farahaqira.
But lo and behold, it appears that the vehicle owner with the upside down Jalur Gemilang plastered on its rear end is, gasp, Malay.
The wife of the vehicle owner claims that she and her husband had stopped at a car wash on their way to Kuala Kubu Baru.
The sticker of the flag must have come off and the workers must have just slapped it back on upside down unbeknown to the vehicle occupants. It was rectified the moment they noticed it but alas keyboard warriors had already viralled the image.
The non-plussed wife says they had lodged a police report and would contemplate taking action against irresponsible netizens for posting images of the car that invited plenty of nasty comments.
This was highlighted in a post by @asryani_93 who urged netizens to stay calm and NOT spread malicious lies. “The owner is Malay,” he stressed, meaning that the entire argument that this was solely the behaviour of ungrateful Chinese is without foundation.
This penchant to blame DAP for all perceived societal ills was echoed in another post on Threads.
Highlighting a Jalur Gemilang missing the crescent moon and star purportedly fluttering unapologetically in Pantai Batu Buruk, Terengganu, one Madani supporter highlighted the apparent hypocrisy.
Exclaiming that if this was in Penang, the offenders would be labelled “communists” and plenty of opprobrium heaped on the DAP-led state government. He sarcastically chided that they would NOT respond in kind but urged the relevant parties to “settle this a.s.a.p”.
This bigoted attitude of wrongly accusing the Chinese and Indians of being unpatriotic citizens was also highlighted by another Threader @malaysphere.
Noting a Tik Toker had uploaded a video which featured a reverse Jalur Gemilang badge on her headscarf a.k.a. tudung, this unimpressed citizen argued that even a kindie-going child would know that wearing an upside-down flag was a sign of disrespect.
“If it was a Chinese or Indian who did this, the entire nation would be up in arms,” observed @malaysphere.
The viralling of the Kuala Kubu Baru-bound vehicle with the upside-down flag shows that the rightist faction is keen to still use this as a stick to beat minority communities.
However, as the identity of that vehicle’s owners reveals, this phenomenon is NOT race specific. It is a tired and frankly, sad excuse for stirring the hornet’s nest.
As can be seen from the various other posts underlining this pertinent truth, it is hoped more Malaysians are beginning to see through this race-baiting charade. – Aug 10, 2026
