Flags at One-North worksite 'well-intentioned gesture' to celebrate SG60 and anniversary of China-S'pore relations
The display of the national flags of China and Singapore at a One-North condominium construction site was "well-intentioned", said one of the developers.
But the Chinese flag has since been removed from the Bloomsbury Residences worksite at Media Circle.
Stomper ZR had shared photos of the flags taken on July 21.
"I feel it's wrong to put up flags of other nations during our nation's birthday, which you're not supposed to," said the Stomper.
Bloomsbury Residences is a joint venture between Qingjian Realty and Forsea Holdings.
Qingjian Realty is the Singapore subsidiary of Chinese company Qingjian Group (CNQC) while Singapore-based Forsea Holdings is owned by China Communications Construction Company, also a Chinese company.
A spokesperson for Forsea Holdings told Stomp: "Upon thorough internal review, we found that a staff member of our contractor, in a well-intentioned gesture to celebrate Singapore's 60th National Day and the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Singapore, temporarily displayed the flags of both China and Singapore at the worksite.
"Upon discovery, the contractor proactively replaced all flags with Singapore's national flag several days prior to the publication of your report on Aug 3, ensuring full compliance with local regulations."
According to the Singapore Statutes, the National Emblems (Control of Display) Act states that displaying any flag or national emblem that is not of Singapore in public is considered an offence. An emblem is considered as being displayed in public when it is visible to members of the public.
If convicted of the offence, the person could face a fine of up to $500, a jail term of up to six months or both.
Exceptions to the Act include diplomatic representatives of a foreign power to Singapore, where authorisation has been granted by the government, and on ships and aircraft.
The Forsea Holdings spokesperson added: "We have since reinforced strict guidelines with the contractor, emphasising that even symbolic gestures must align with local laws and cultural sensitivities to prevent misunderstandings."
