A PRIVATE dental clinic in Pontian has been instructed to immediately rectify the improper display of the Malaysian flag (Jalur Gemilang), after it was found to have been hung upside down at the premises. Four staff members are currently under police investigation.
The incident came to light following the circulation of a 33-second video showing the inverted flag mounted on a second-floor window of a three-storey commercial building. The flag was positioned beside the Johor state flag, which was displayed correctly.
The clinic was closed at the time of the recording, with its main entrance shuttered. Police officers and members of the public were seen at the location.
The Pontian Municipal Council (MPPn), in a statement, said it had received a report of the incident and responded by deploying two enforcement officers to the site.
"MPPn received a report regarding the Malaysian flag being displayed upside down at a private clinic located at the Pontian Trade Centre," it stated.
"A direct inspection at the scene confirmed the offence, with the flag hung inside the second-floor window of the premises. By the time enforcement officers arrived, the clinic had already closed for the day. MPPn and the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) contacted the staff, who were asked to return to the site immediately."
According to the council, a representative of the clinic arrived shortly after and the same individual responsible for the original installation corrected the flag on the spot.
"Four individuals — three women and one man — were taken to the Pontian District Police Headquarters (IPD) by PDRM for further investigation," the statement added.
The offence is being investigated under Local By-Law 45 on the Display of Flags, part of the 2019 Local Licensing By-Laws for Trade, Business and Industry (MDP).
Pontian police have not yet issued an official statement, although Deputy District Police Chief, Deputy Superintendent Abd Hamid Abd Rahaman, is expected to do so.
This marks the second such incident in Johor this week. On Monday, police opened an investigation after the Johor state flag was discovered hanging upside down atop a hotel in Segamat — an image that also went viral on social media. - August 21, 2025
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