Disrespect To National Anthem
KUCHING: Being unsatisfied with the federal government and not respecting Malaysia’s national anthem ‘Negaraku’ or the national flag are two different things, said Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Hamzah.
The minister was commenting on the eight members of Sarawak for Sarawakians (S4S) who were called up by police to record their statements for refusing to stand for the national anthem at a dinner.
He said every Malaysian must show their respect for the national anthem and flag of the country. They must also respect the national anthems and flags of other countries.
“That is why “bila berpolitik, kita berpolitik” (when in politics, that’s politics). Because there are things that are very sacred to us… The national flag and national anthem are something that are very sacred to our hearts.
“You cannot just say you do not want to stand for the Negaraku because you are unhappy with Kuala Lumpur (federal government). That is a sign of disrespect,” he told a press conference at the Baitulmakmur Building here yesterday.
Karim pointed out that it was unbecoming, unpatriotic and disloyal of someone to make fun of the national anthem.
“I get so offended and disgusted by that video. Personally, I feel all these seven or eight guys should be penalised or charged,” he said.
“Personally, I feel they don’t deserve to be Malaysian citizens. In Thailand, Philippines or Indonesia, when somebody does something like this, he or she can be heavily punished.
“But under the Malaysian National Anthem Act (1968), the highest penalty is only RM100 for not standing to the national anthem. To me, that is still so small. They should go to jail for years,” he said.
Karim added that when Malaysia was formed in 1963, our forefathers agreed to the formation and Sarawak was already part and parcel of the national flag and anthem.
He went on to say when he attended the National Day of China function here recently, he and the other delegates had stand up to show their respect for China’s national anthem when it was being played.
“So my advice to these people is “Bertaubat lah” (repent). They should apologise to all Malaysians for showing disrespect to our national flag and national anthem,” he said.
