appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

hooksArticlePageFloatingButtonConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

Letters

Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification
I refer to the article, “Uproar in Malaysia after China flags waved at Perak cultural event” (October 26).
Malaysia’s Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil has rightly cautioned people against inciting racial sentiments about a cultural event where Chinese flags were publicly displayed or risk being investigated.
The incident took place during the International Guan Gong Cultural Festival in Teluk Intan, Perak state, where Chinese flags were waved by participants from China. According to reports, flags from other countries, including Vietnam and Thailand, were also paraded at the event.
While the Guan Gong Cultural Association of Malaysia, which organised the festival, has since apologised to the public and clarified that the flag-waving was not part of the official programme, I wish to point out that the public display of national emblems in Malaysia is governed by law.
The National Emblems (Control of Display) Act 1949, a pre-independence law, is short with only eight sections. A flag is of course considered a national emblem. Section 3 of the Act prohibits the display of any national emblem – including foreign flags – in public or in schools, though there are exceptions (Section 4) and exemptions (Section 5) to the prohibition.
Under Section 8, any person who displays any national emblem contrary to the Act is guilty of an offence and is liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or a fine not exceeding 500 Malaysian ringgit (US$114) or both.
The same law – in name and provisions – is found in neighbouring Singapore, which, like Malaysia, was also a British colony.
The law may be incomprehensible to visitors, but it should be part of the dos and don’ts of visiting a country, while the host should not be ignorant of it.
Mohamad Hafiz Bin Hassan, lecturer, Faculty of Law, Multimedia University, Malaysia
A Lebanon ceasefire depends on unflagging diplomacy
The escalation of the Israel-Hezbollah conflict underscores the urgent need for an updated diplomatic strategy. Lebanon’s position is precarious. Israeli air strikes have severely damaged Lebanese infrastructure, and Hezbollah’s sustained military actions invite further devastation. As conflict pressures swell, the strain on Lebanon’s already fragile state heightens the risk of collapse.
Meanwhile, northern Israel grapples with daily disruptions. Thousands have been displaced as rocket fire continues. Israel’s armed forces, stretched by simultaneous engagements in Gaza and Lebanon, face mounting logistical and economic strains. Without intervention, the financial and human toll for both Lebanon and Israel is unsustainable.
The international community’s response must intensify beyond existing frameworks like UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which was adopted in 2006 and aimed at ending hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel.
Reports indicate advanced discussions around a ceasefire agreement, led by the United States and other key stakeholders. A diplomatic window is opening for ceasefire talks facilitated by American and European mediators, with a suggested focus on a phased de-escalation, Lebanese Armed Forces deployments and expanded UNIFIL peacekeeping presence.
The US and European Union must apply diplomatic pressure to balance Israel’s security concerns with Lebanon’s stability. Under an international agreement and with Israel’s commitment to respect Lebanese sovereignty and permanently end hostilities, establishing a framework to reduce armed presence south of the Litani River, supported by a robust compliance monitoring system, is vital to breaking this cycle of violence.
Time is of the essence. Current signs of progress are fragile, and without sustained diplomatic efforts, this conflict could spiral into a wider regional catastrophe. Diplomacy is imperative not only to manage immediate tensions but also to lay the groundwork for a sustainable peace.
Mohamad Zreik, Zhuhai, Guangdong
Hong Kong must be more inclusive than in 2018
Your correspondent writes precisely about the changing global attitudes to same-sex relationships and marriage (“Redefining marriage is the best way forward, October 25). I married my husband in New Zealand two years ago, and we have been together for over 20 years. Our union is not officially recognised in Hong Kong, and we have no legal status in the eyes of the bureaucracy.
In November 2018, Hong Kong’s Legislative Council failed to pass a motion to consider creating legal unions for homosexual couples. Some of the legislators who rejected the motion are still in Legco today, including Junius Ho, who said at the time it was “a golden rule that no study should be conducted for a cause which is obviously wrong”. One cannot be optimistic about the outcome this time round.
However, Article 25 of the Basic Law states, “All Hong Kong residents shall be equal before the law”. Marriage, a union of love, provides the foundation for a life shared and, with that, the prosperity such a union creates.
Hong Kong describes itself as “Asia’s world city”. Let’s be world-class in embracing diversity and ending the discrimination that holds back our entrepreneurial spirit and the international perception that we are an intolerant society.
Mark Peaker, The Peaker
More funding for clean factory initiative must be justified
Hong Kong introduced the Cleaner Production Partnership Programme as far back as in 2008 to encourage and support Hong Kong-owned factories here and in Guangdong to adopt cleaner production technologies and practices. The aim is to curb environmental pollution.
In this year’s policy address, the chief executive said the government would inject an additional HK$100 million (US$ 12,867,400) into programme to promote the green transformation of factories in the Greater Bay Area.
While the aim is laudable, what specific environment impact has the programme had? Its website carries some information about the funded projects and a set of indicators and benchmarks for cleaner production, but there is little quantitative data about the impact of the projects. We urge the department to publish more detailed information about how the projects reduced environmental pollution and the carbon footprint to justify the allocation of extra resources.
Lau Ching Nam and Li Haocheng, Kowloon Tong


Indonesia breathing issues spike to over 170,000 cases amid wildfire haze

King of Thailand’s estranged son seeks return for urgent brain surgery

South Korean killer’s escape foiled, Singapore minister’s Mandarin speech: 7 Asia highlights

Home at last? Why house arrest for Malaysia’s Najib is no done deal

Malaysia

Public display of flags is subject to Malaysian law

The display of Chinese flags at a cultural festival in Perak led to a counter rally two days later in which hundreds converged on a town square in Perak to wave Malaysian flags and sing the national anthem. Photo: TikTok / wanwadifa

Chinese flag dispute in Malaysia sparks nationalist backlash, escalating tensions

The display of Chinese flags at a cultural festival in Perak on Thursday led to a counter rally on Saturday in which hundreds converged on Teluk Intan’s town square to wave Malaysian flags and sing the national anthem. Photo: TikTok / wanwadifa 

Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim present souvenirs to each other prior to the reception celebrating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between their two countries on June 19. Photo: Xinhua

Why import foreign workers when Hong Kong’s poor need jobs?

Worker carrying out essential maintenance on the rooftop of the Hong Kong Coliseum in Hung Hom on October 24. Photo: May Tse 

What Hong Kong can do to improve its office occupancy rate

The high vacancy rates of Hong Kong offices show no sign of abating. Photo: May Tse

UN Security Council to meet over Israel’s strike on Iran

An armed Israeli warplane departs from an unknown location to attack Iran on Saturday. Photo: Israeli Army via AP

The United Nations Security Council in New York City. Photo: Reuters

Opinion

Readers discuss the uproar over the waving of Chinese flags at a cultural festival, the push for a Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire, Hong Kong’s efforts to legalise same-sex relationships, and the city’s clean-factory initiative


Readers discuss the uproar over the waving of Chinese flags at a cultural festival, the push for a Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire, Hong Kong’s efforts to legalise same-sex relationships, and the city’s clean-factory initiative.
