Lebanese flag displayed by wheelchair user at Changi General Hospital ‘unacceptable’, says Stomper
A Lebanese flag displayed by a wheelchair user at Changi General Hospital on April 1 left a passer-by feeling uneasy.
Stomper Aidan shared a photo of the mini flag pole attached to the back of the motorised wheelchair belonging to a man in a cap, who was smoking.
Aidan, who spotted this at around 12.45pm, said he believed the foreign flag “touched upon the preservation of our national harmony and public order”.
He explained: “While I understand that individuals may have strong personal feelings regarding ongoing overseas conflicts, I find the display of a foreign flag in a public space — especially one associated with a highly sensitive geopolitical conflict — concerning.
“Such anti-social behaviour risks bringing overseas disputes to Singapore’s shores, which I believe is unacceptable for our multi-racial and multi-religious country where everyone has a place.”
Lebanon was pulled into the current Middle East war when Lebanese group Hezbollah fired rockets at neighbouring Israel on March 2, two days after Iran was attacked by Israel and the United States.
The Lebanese health ministry said at least five people were killed in a recent Israeli strike on April 12, and the war’s overall death toll rose to 2,055.
The Stomper said that regardless of one’s personal stance on international events, these matters are beyond Singapore’s control.
“It is vital that we do not allow external conflicts to stir up or instigate tensions among our own people,” Aidan added.
“We have seen how populations in other nations can become polarised and dragged into conflicts that have no direct bearing on them, fracturing their local communities. Singapore has always stood firm against importing foreign politics to maintain the peace we enjoy.”
He also pointed out that the public display of foreign flags is regulated under the National Emblems Act to “prevent precisely this type of societal friction”.
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.
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. 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.
Aidan has also reached out to the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth about the incident.
He said: “We must continue to protect our shared spaces and ensure they remain neutral, inclusive and free from imported political or religious disputes.”
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