'Looking for trouble': Malaysia flag hung outside HDB flat raises eyebrows

[UPDATE Aug 14] The location of the HDB block in the video is not in Yishun, the Nee Soon Town Council said on Tuesday (Aug 14), after conducting checks.

While the location tag in the TikTok video showed Yishun Central, no other information was provided in the clip to support the claim, the town council noted.

"Regardless of location, it is important for all residents to note that under The National Emblems (Control of Display) Act, any unauthorised display of any flag or national emblem that is not of Singapore in public is considered an offence," the town council said.

What some took to be a show of solidarity between neighbouring countries may end up landing someone in trouble.

A video posted on TikTok account The SG Daily on Saturday (Aug 10) shows two flags — one of Singapore and the other of Malaysia — hanging side by side outside a ground-floor flat in an HDB block in an undisclosed location.

The clip has garnered over 100,000 views as of Monday, and led some netizens to question if hanging another country's flag outside one's home was allowed.

One netizen said: "[Malaysia's] flag can only be displayed at the High Commissions and Embassies, and the average [Singapore] citizen cannot casually hang flags of other countries at their homes. If someone in Malaysia hangs the Singapore flag at their front door, they will likely face protests too."

"If [it was one of] my neighbouring blocks, I would question them. It's disrespectful in my opinion," wrote another.

One commented: "This person [is] confirm looking for trouble."

[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@thesgdaily/video/7401385503183998215[/embed]

Others, however, said that they found the act wholesome and deemed it to be a "show of solidarity" with Malaysia, which also celebrates its national day in August.

"It looks beautiful. I personally take it as a sign of solidarity," a netizen noted while another wrote: "OK la, nice. [We are] friends forever."

"We share a very close kinship, nothing wrong with hanging both flags," commented another netizen.

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Last year, a China flag displayed outside the balcony of a condominium at Hillview Avenue in Bukit Batok garnered attention in a similar fashion.

The National Emblems (Control of Display) Act states that the display of any flag or national emblem that is not of Singapore in public is considered an offence.

Those found guilty of flouting the law may face a fine of up to $500, a jail term of up to 6 months, or both.

But there are exceptions to the Act. These include diplomatic representatives of a foreign power to Singapore, where authorisation has been granted by the government, as well as on ships and aircrafts. 

Editor's note: An earlier version of this article stated that the HDB flat was in Yishun. This is incorrect.

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bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com