It Was Intentional: Tun M Claims Omission of Crescent from Jalur Gemilang Was Deliberate

Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has stirred discussion over a recent controversy involving the Malaysian flag, the Jalur Gemilang. Two separate incidents sparked public outrage — one involving a local newspaper that published the flag without its iconic crescent moon on the front page, and another where the Ministry of Education (MOE) used an incomplete version of the flag in its SPM exam results analysis report.

Despite public apologies from the involved parties, Tun Mahathir believes these weren’t innocent errors. Speaking on Episode 5 of the Dr M Podcast, which was later shared on his official Facebook page, he suggested that the omission of the crescent moon, a symbol of Islam, was intentional.

He maintained, “This was intentional, not an error. It was done on purpose to show that there’s no Islamic symbol on our flag. So the crescent moon was removed, and only the star was kept.”

Tun M went on to claim that this act could be part of an effort to align Malaysia with communist symbolism. He expressed that when we look at flags of communist countries, they often feature only stars — one big star or several smaller ones. So removing the moon and leaving only the star seems to hint at a desire to make Malaysia look like a communist nation.

The former Prime Minister compared this situation to a previous incident that caused national outrage — when the word “Allah” appeared printed on socks. At the time, many Malaysians were deeply offended by what they saw as a grave disrespect toward Islamic values.

“And as for printing ‘Allah’ on socks, we wear socks on our feet. We walk and step on things with our feet. So putting the name of Allah on socks, and then stepping on it, it’s intentional", he added.

Tun Mahathir's remarks have reignited debates about religious and political sensitivities in national symbols. Tun M’s claims suggest a deeper narrative — one where symbolism is used as a subtle tool to reshape national identity.

Information Source: WOB

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