KEPALA BATAS: Around 10 shops are shutting their doors early as a precautionary measure in case a protest takes place after one of the shopkeepers raised a Jalur Gemilang upside-down last week.
An electrical goods shopkeeper, who wished to be known as Yen, said the row would be closed from noon onwards on Thursday (Aug 14) in case things go south later in the evening.
"The police came to visit us (the entire row) on Wednesday (Aug 13) and told us it would be safest if we closed our shops today.
"They advised us to close for the whole day. We could not do so as we did not have enough time to inform customers.
"So we decided to open for half a day and close at around noon," she said when met at her shop along Jalan Bertam Permata here.
Yen said most shops will close as they do not want any trouble.
Other shops, including a car accessories shop, clinic and air-conditioning wiring shop, were seen pulling their shutters at around noon, while others had already closed earlier in the morning.
"There is even a clothing bundle shop that is open till late at night. But today we will all close, as we do not want any trouble. Even the clinic here is closing at noon," she said.
Yen said the hardware shop that raised a Jalur Gemilang upside-down has been closed since Sunday.
She said businesses have been affected by the whole incident.
"I noticed people are hesitant to come to this area," she said.
The controversy arose after a 21-second video clip filmed outside a hardware store in Kepala Batas surfaced on Saturday, showing the Jalur Gemilang being hoisted upside-down, sparking widespread public outrage.
It was reported that the 59-year-old man involved admitted it was an error, explaining that he was merely measuring the flagpole height and had not yet secured the flag when the recording was made.
He claimed to have corrected the flag’s position afterwards.
On Thursday (Aug 14) Bukit Aman advised all parties to cancel a planned gathering in Bertam, Kepala Batas, to avoid conflicts and ensure safety.
Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail said the police viewed seriously any issue that could threaten public safety and well-being.
"In the interest of preserving community safety and preventing confrontations between groups, we advise that the gathering on Thursday (Aug 14) be called off," he said.
The IGP said investigations are ongoing, with 38 reports lodged nationwide, 17 in Penang and 21 in other states.
"The probe also covers action against individuals who recorded and shared the footage under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998," he added.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow has called on all parties to move on and not prolong the recent controversy.
