SINGAPORE – An Instagram user has sparked fury online by claiming to have burned a Singapore flag and challenging authorities to give him the death penalty.
Two photos uploaded by the user shows part of a Singapore flag in flames. “They have to throw the death penalty on me if I keep doing this right?” he wrote on one post.
In another post, he wrote: “I don’t enjoy patriotism/this is an act of treason/will something happen yet?”
The user, whose profile page is public, was lambasted for treating the national emblem with disrespect.
Instagram screengrabs
Some netizens questioned the motive behind his actions while others advised him to remove the photo to avoid getting in trouble with the law.
In one of his replies, he tells a netizen to “go back doing your slave s***”. He also tells him to “eat s*** and die”.
Despite this show of defiance, the user subsequently removed the post, puzzling netizens even further.
Many have continued to leave comments on his other Instagram posts.
Under the Singapore Arms and Flag and National Anthem Act, it is an offence to treat the flag with disrespect.
Those who do so could be fined up to $1,000.
The rules state that the flag should not be allowed to touch the ground. When displayed, the flag should also be clean, undamaged and not faded.
Flags also cannot be appropriated for any commercial use, and they should not be used as part of decoration, attire and private funeral activities.
According to the National Heritage Board, flags that have been damaged or are worn-out should be disposed of properly, and “not left visible in dustbins”.
Torn or worn-out flags should be packed into a sealed black trash bag before disposal.
ljessica@sph.com.sg
