S'pore & M'sia flags seen hung outside ground floor HDB flat

It is an offence to display any foreign flag or national emblem in public in Singapore.

Belmont Lay | August 13, 2024, 06:12 AM

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Editor's note: This article has been updated after Nee Soon Town Council confirmed the location of the flat seen in the video is not in Yishun.

A Malaysia flag was seen displayed outside a ground floor Housing and Development Board flat — right beside a Singapore flag.

A TikTok of the display of national flags, supposedly shot in Yishun, was put up on Aug. 10.

@thesgdaily Malaysia boleh 😮#ndp #ndp2024 ♬ We Will Get There (Sing Singapore2002 Theme Song) - Sun Yan-Zi

The 6-second clip also showed Singapore flags hung along the corridors of the second, third and fourth floors.

Responses

The video elicited multiple responses, some asking if the clip had been doctored, while others questioned the legality of such a display in Singapore.

In response to comments about the authenticity of the incident, thesgdaily TikTok account said: "Seems real 🧐"

The account reiterated that it was shot at "some block" in Yishun, when asked for the exact location.

At least a few commenters highlighted that Singapore's national day falls on Aug. 9, while Malaysia's is on Aug. 31, in an attempt to add context to the side-by-side public display of two national flags.

Following news of the Malaysia's flag appearance in a public space, Nee Soon Town Council said in a Facebook post on Aug. 14 that the location of the unit shown in the video is not in Yishun.

Nee Soon Town Council said: "We have confirmed from our checks that the location of the HDB block is not in Yishun."

What Singapore law says

Publicly displaying any foreign flag or national emblem is an offence, according to the Foreign National Emblems (Control of Display) Act 1949.

If convicted of the offence, the individual may be liable to a fine of up to S$500, a jail term of up to six months, or both.

Top photos via thesgdaily TikTok