AND when we thought the story of foreign flags on Malaysian soil enraging netizens would end, here comes another with a dark twist.
Netizen Lee Seng Foo in a post on X pointed out that it was inappropriate to display the flag of the rising sun, aka Japan, as shown painted on a van in this photo.
Just when we thought this was yet another small matter being inflated beyond proportion, here comes the rationale to put things into perspective.
No matter how much you love Japan or Japanese culture, you are ignorant if you use the Rising Sun symbol in Malaysia. pic.twitter.com/F3WS0rYB1k
— Lee Seng Foo🇲🇾李成富 (@sengfoo88) January 20, 2025
Netizen Fadzlyn Hanafi inquired what the fuss was about, and he was quickly enlightened by the many historical savvy netizens who pointed out the flag and its link to the cruel past.
“Over time, the people of Malaysia are forgetting the brutality of the Japanese army in Asia,” said Ooi Beng Cheang, adding that there used to be many films and documentaries showing the meaning of the Rising Sun flag, but it seems none of them have reached the current generation.
Qirazza chipped in to point out that the Japanese used to fill people up with water and jump on their stomach until the water came out.
“I have seen it in a documentary on the History channel. It doesn’t matter whether they did it in mainland China,” she said.
One netizen further suggested that people vandalise the person’s car, such as painting a little over the sun. “Either that or an accident till total lost,” he said.
The bitter sentiment continued with AJ saying that this was the flag of the people who make others drink soap water and the head choppers.
Also, #Radical shared that his grandmother in Kelantan once said that she ate only potatoes for three years when the Japanese came.
“But the Japanese people today are very polite, sympathetic, and progress-oriented. The will to change. We should also have the strength to improve in every aspect,” said Mrs Hamid in their defense.
Another netizen was unimpressed, claiming that his older generation hated the Japanese until now.
“They don’t even want to mention the name of the country out of hate,” he said, adding that the Japanese once killed their father and raped their relatives in front of their eyes.
Likely, the driver who painted the rising sun flag on his van is unaware of the historical implication associated with it.
It may be an expression of his love for a Japanese rock band or perhaps the anime which holds a dear place among the younger generation. Let this be a learning process for him. —Jan 22, 2025
Main image: Lee Jin-Man
