SEPANG, Aug 20 — The Sepang district police have taken their annual Merdeka convoy beyond police headquarters this year to reach local communities, particularly the younger generation, in an effort to foster the spirit of independence and strengthen racial unity.
Sepang district police chief ACP Norhizam Bahaman said the vehicle convoy, held in conjunction with the 69th Merdeka Month Celebration and Fly the Jalur Gemilang campaign, had previously been organised at the district police headquarters (IPD) level.
The programme involved about 50 vehicles, including motorcycles and cars.
“This year, I am taking the convoy programme out into the community because we want to show that the police and the community are not separate.
“We are starting with primary schools, where we can see how happy the pupils are when we arrive. We also distributed about 800 flags to the pupils,” he told reporters after a meet-and-greet session with the school community at Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina (SJKC) Dengkil near here today.
Earlier, Norhizam, who also participated in the programme, flagged off the convoy of about 50 vehicles from the Sepang IPD to SJKC Dengkil, covering a distance of 14 kilometres.
He said the school was chosen because its pupils come from various racial backgrounds, including Malay, Chinese, Indian and Orang Asli communities, making it a suitable platform to nurture the spirit of unity from a young age.
“We chose a school with pupils from different racial backgrounds. There are Malays, Chinese, Indians and Orang Asli as well. When I look at this, I think this is the spirit of Merdeka that we want,” he said.
Commenting on recent cases of the Jalur Gemilang being displayed upside down in several states, Norhizam expressed hope that similar incidents would not occur in Sepang and said patrol officers would monitor flag displays throughout the district.
“I will ensure that our patrol officers check that all flags displayed are not flown upside down, whether intentionally or unintentionally. It really should not happen,” he said.
Norhizam said action would be taken if such an incident occurred and caused public annoyance, adding that no such cases had been reported in Sepang so far.
“In Sepang, thanks to God, we have not had any such cases in previous years. Looking at our community here, I can see that racial integration is quite strong,” he said.
Several photographs and videos purportedly showing the Jalur Gemilang being displayed upside down in several states have gone viral on social media, sparking public debate.
