GEORGE TOWN: Police have warned against a planned gathering by Umno Youth scheduled for Thursday (Aug 14) in Bertam, Kepala Batas.
Citing concerns over public safety and order, Penang police chief Comm Datuk Azizee Ismail urged the public to steer clear of the gathering, which arose from the upside-down Jalur Gemilang controversy.
"We urged all parties to wait for the instruction from the Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) and refrain from any actions that could spark unrest," he said in a statement on Wednesday (Aug 13).
Comm Azizee said police are also investigating the individual who recorded and circulated a video of the inverted flag under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
He added that 38 police reports have been lodged nationwide so far, 17 coming from Penang and 21 in other states.
"The investigation paper was completed and submitted to the Penang DPP’s office on Aug 11, and is now under review," he said.
On Aug 9, a 59-year-old hardware shop owner in Kepala Batas, Penang, was investigated after the national flag was found hanging upside-down outside his shop.
The shop owner claimed that it was an unintentional mistake made while measuring a flagpole, which he corrected shortly after.
Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh previously announced plans to stage a protest at the shop, but the gathering did not take place after police were stationed in the area and advised against it.
The scheduled protest, believed to be organised by Umno, has instead been moved to the Kepala Batas night market site located about 2km from the hardware shop.
Akmal has been vocal against improper displays of the Jalur Gemilang and said he wanted to visit the shop owner to "teach" him how to display it properly.
