Upside-down flag flap in SEA Games booklet resolved

KUALA LUMPUR: The issue of the Indonesian flag being printed upside down in a souvenir booklet for the SEA Games here has been resolved, the youth and sports ministers of both countries said.  

Malaysia’s Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin and his counterpart Imam Nahrawi had a 10-minute closed-door meeting at a hotel here Sunday.  

The two ministers then shook hands and told a packed press conference that the issue was resolved.  

Nahrawi said he has accepted Khairy's apology.  

“We’re both good friends and I know Khairy is always prioritising the good relationship between our two countries.  

“But we hope this issue will not be repeated again,” he said.  

Khairy said he has ordered souvenir booklets to be corrected and reprinted.  

“It was unintentional and it happened due to our carelessness.  

“But there’s no denying that it’s a big error which has affected the image and reputation of the Indonesian Republic because the flag is a symbol of a country’s national pride,” he added.  

Also at the press conference were SEA Games Federation chairman and Olympic Council president Tunku Tan Sri Imran Tuanku Jaafar, Khairy’s deputy Datuk M. Saravanan, and KL2017 chief executive officer Datuk Seri Zolkples Embong.  

Khairy had first issued an apology after Nahrawi tweeted about the mistake in the booklet.  

“Bapak Imam, please accept my sincere apologies for this. There was no malice,” Khairy tweeted on Saturday.

“I very much regret that this mistake happened. My apologies,” he said, adding that he would meet with his counterpart to apologise in person.  

The Malaysia SEA Games Organising Committee (Masoc) also apologised to all Indonesians over the mistake.