‘Is this allowed?’: Cyclist surprised to see Vietnam flag at Ho Chi Minh bust near ACM
A cyclist was surprised to spot a Vietnam flag flying beside the bust of the country’s late leader Ho Chi Minh near the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) on Sept 3.
Stomper Yong Hong shared photos and a video of the display, which he came across while cycling past ACM at about 9am.
They show a Vietnam flag beside the bronze bust of Ho Chi Minh, with numerous bouquets of flowers laid at its base.
“I cycled by the Asian Civilisations Museum this morning and passed the bronze bust and commemorative plaque of President Ho Chi Minh,” said Yong Hong.
“Usually, I notice lots of bouquets of flowers here. This morning, there was even a Vietnam flag too.”
Yong Hong, who cycles in the area about once a month, said it was the first time he had seen a flag displayed there.
“I’ve mostly seen flower bouquets, but this time a flag was flown,” he said. “I’m unsure if this is allowed.”
He subsequently realised that Vietnam had marked its 81st National Day the day before, on Sept 2.
In response to queries from Stomp, the National Heritage Board (NHB) said it was aware that flowers and a flag had been placed at the Ho Chi Minh marker on Sept 2, which was Vietnam’s 81st National Day.
“As of Sept 4, the flag is no longer at the site,” it said.
Can foreign flags be displayed in public in Singapore?
Under the Foreign National Emblems (Control of Display) Act, foreign national emblems, which include the flags of other countries, generally cannot be displayed in public in Singapore.
The Act provides for certain exceptions and allows the Minister to exempt a display through an order published in the Gazette or by issuing a written permit.
The legislation defines a public display broadly to include one on a road, street, bridge, passage, footway or other place accessible to the public, as well as displays visible from such places.
It is not known who placed the Vietnam flag at the Ho Chi Minh marker or whether permission had been obtained for its display.
Why is there a bust of Ho Chi Minh in Singapore?
The Ho Chi Minh commemorative marker was unveiled at ACM Green in May 2008 as part of NHB’s Friends to Our Shores programme, which honours prominent overseas personalities who had connections with Singapore.
Ho Chi Minh visited Singapore in May 1930 and January 1933.
The bronze statue was subsequently unveiled in September 2011 by then Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts Yaacob Ibrahim and then Vietnamese president Truong Tan Sang.
Created by Vietnamese sculptor Trần Văn Lắm, it was commissioned by the Ho Chi Minh Museum in Hanoi.
NHB said at the time that the addition of the statue signified a reaffirmation of cultural and bilateral ties between Singapore and Vietnam.
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