Singaporeans turned to social media websites to strongly condemn Israel’s aggression in Gaza especially after a resident had been advised by police on Monday to take down a Palestinian flag that he had displayed on his premises.
Netizens on the island state want to know why the police acted so quickly in the case of the Palestinian flag, but seemingly closed one eye when foreigners put up the Chinese or the Philippine flag.
“What’s wrong with flying the Palestinian flag? They just want to pray for Gaza,” Jason Teo wrote on the Outstanding SG Facebook page.
A photo of a Palestinian flag being put up outside an apartment complex in Singapore had also been uploaded on the page.
News portal Channel News Asia reported the flag had been put up over the 11th storey parapet of Block 54 Sims Drive on the morning of July 14. Since the photo had been uploaded on Monday night, it has since been shared by over 900 Facebook users.
Facebook user Fizzy Lumpkins also wrote: “Funny you don’t see the same response when a PRC or Pinoy flag is being hung.”
Another user using the handle Chapiik Serizawa questioned why is it wrong to fly the Palestinian flag as a sign of protest to the atrocities at the hands of Israel?
“If our Government isn’t doing anything to protest since Singapore is pro Israel, then allow us to protest ourselves because we are human beings, we have feelings and we have humanity. We aren’t children. We are adults and we are matured enough to differentiate the right and wrong.”
Their sentiments were echoed by users on Twitter, questioning the advice given by police.
Talk on the Palestinian flag being taken down following ‘advise’ from the police followed a similar conversation regarding Singapore’s stand on Israeli aggression in Gaza after the republic, in a statement last week, urged Palestinian fighters to stop launching rockets into Israel.
News portal Today reported the man had taken down the Palestinian flag after being advised by the police after being put up for about two hours.
“The flag had been taken down voluntarily. Police are currently investigating the incident,” a police spokesman told Today.
The man, known as Gulam Yusuf, had also uploaded photos of the police when they visited his home, and three other photos of the flag on his Facebook page.
In a short message on Facebook, Gulam said, he regretted the fact that the police can allow a rally supporting same sex relationships but took action on him for trying to create awareness of the mass murders in Gaza.
Gulam was referring to the annual gay rights rally in the country celebrating sexual diversity in the city-state, a day before the holy month of Ramadan began on June 28.
According to Today, Gulam said he had been asked by police about his background and the purpose of his visit to several Middle Eastern countries several months ago. Gulam also travelled to Israel seven months ago.
Under Singapore law, it is an offence to fly the flag of another country in public. The offence carries a fine of up to S$500 (RM1279) or six month imprisonment or both if convicted.
This is not the first time a foreign flag had been asked to be taken down by Singapore authorities. In July 2012, they had investigated a Singaporean of Chinese descent who had raised the Chinese flag shortly before the republic celebrated its independence day.
