PONTIAN: The upside-down national flag that was on the jersey Lee Zii Jia's was wearing at the HSBC BWF World Tour Finals has been described as a "significant error".
Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said although sponsors Victor Malaysia had apologised, the error displayed negligence.
"We must remain moderate and let authorities take appropriate action.
"In my view, it was a significant error. The jersey was worn by a well-known player representing the nation carrying the Malaysian flag. I see this as critical negligence," he said while speaking to reporters after visiting Dewan Masyarakat Kampung Seri Bunian to oversee the Tarana Wireless telecommunications tower on Saturday (May 10).
Fahmi added that his ministry had not received any reports from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) on the matter.
"If there is an investigation, we will leave it to the authorities to handle.
"My advice – not only in this case but in any situation – is for Internet and social media users to exercise caution.
"Comments can be misinterpreted and we do not want a situation where it fuels unnecessary tension," he said.
Earlier, Zii Jia was seen wearing a jersey with an upside-down Malaysian flag during his Group A opening match where he defeated Taiwan's Chou Tien Chen 21-13, 21-15.
On May 8, Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh said that the ministry would draft a code of ethics for athletes on the use of the Jalur Gemilang on competition attire.
"So far we don't have a code or order that we can use regarding the issue. I will ask the National Sports Council (NSC) to see what we can do to ensure this does not recur," she said.
