PETALING JAYA: The Foreign Ministry will be investigating an incident where an inaccurate flag of Malaysia was used during the opening ceremony of a basketball game.

“I have directed for this incident to be investigated,” its minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah tweeted on his official account on Tuesday (Nov 26).

Sy telah arahkan supaya insiden ini disiasat. https://t.co/RT4z3teviS — Saifuddin Abdullah (@saifuddinabd) November 26, 2019

In a viral video posted by Rafi Awg Kechik on Facebook, the inaccurate flag featured a five-pointed star that was shown on the stadium TV screen as the national anthem was played during the opening ceremony of a basketball game.

The flag also featured 10 red and white stripes, as opposed to the 14 stripes on the national flag.

Rafi, on his post, said the incident happened during the opening ceremony of the basketball game by Malaysian Basketball Association (Maba), adding that the star resembled that of China's flag.

The Malaysian flag is composed of a 14-pointed star and 14 red and white stripes that represents the nation's 13 states and the Federal Territories.

Rafi argued that the flag had been “vilified and reversed”.

“It is embarrassing. ... Why does our flag only have five points? ... If you don't like Malaysia and do not respect the Malaysian flag, please leave this country, ” he posted.

Maba, in a statement on its Facebook page, apologised for the mistake.

It said the incident took place during the 28th MABA Milo Lum Mun Chak Cup (2019), in which its live broadcast team had accidentally displayed the inaccurate flag on its stadium TV screen.

“We apologise for this mistake, and we take full responsibility for such actions.

“Please forgive us, as we are always striving to grow and develop the sport of basketball in Malaysia, ” it posted its statement in English and Chinese.



