SARAWAK has commissioned a manufacturer in China to produce a giant 25-metre by 12-metre Sarawak flag to replace the one that was blown off the 99-metre high flagpole in Kuching.
Sarawak's Deputy Minister for Public Utility and Telecommunications, Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi, said today that the new flag had to be made overseas after the previous one was torn apart by strong winds.
"It was ripped apart, and its cable also snapped during the storm.
"Until we can find a local manufacturer capable of producing a flag that can withstand turbulent storms, we will source it from an overseas manufacturer.
"This new one is from China," he said while attending a ceremony at the flagpole site in Kuching today.
Rahman declined to reveal the cost of producing the giant flag.
He added that the flag would be replaced monthly to ensure it could endure harsh weather conditions.
On 2 September, the largest Sarawak flag, displayed atop the controversially expensive RM30 million tallest flagpole in the state and country, ended up in the Sarawak River.
The flag was blown away by strong winds during a storm that evening.
Opposition politicians and members of the public have criticised the Gabungan Parti Sarawak state government for spending such a vast sum on the flagpole.
The flagpole is situated on the banks of the Sarawak River near the State Legislative Assembly Complex in Kuching. - September 8, 2024.
