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PAS Secretary-General Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan has urged both UMNO and DAP to return to the founding values of the nation, as outlined in the Rukun Negara, following an escalating political row sparked by the alleged improper display of the Jalur Gemilang.
Takiyuddin described DAP Secretary-General Anthony Loke’s call for police reports to be lodged against UMNO Youth Chief Datuk Dr Akmal Salleh over a recent rally in Kepala Batas as “excessive, awkward, and potentially inflammatory.”
“As component parties within the same federal and state-level governing coalition, both DAP and UMNO should have sought internal reconciliation instead of involving external actors, including the police and the general public, through unhealthy narratives,” he said in a statement on Saturday.
The Kota Bharu MP added that both sides should allow police investigations to proceed without unnecessary pressure or political interference.
“Failure to do so risks steering us further off course and could plunge the situation into greater peril,” he said, cautioning that rash actions from one party could provoke similar or even worse reactions from the other.
Takiyuddin said the issue originally stemmed from an isolated act by a single individual who had allegedly hoisted the Malaysian flag upside down, an act already under police investigation. However, he said the incident has been politicised by both parties, fuelling an unnecessarily tense atmosphere.
“This discomfort stems from the actions of one person who is now under investigation. Unfortunately, both parties have aggravated the situation with their own political motives,” he said.
With Malaysia’s 68th Independence Day celebrations approaching, he called on all parties to reflect on the founding philosophy of the nation and the principles of the Rukun Negara in the pursuit of unity and prosperity.
Takiyuddin also noted that PAS had advised its own youth wing not to interfere in the matter. - August 17, 2025