In light of National Day and a show of support for the nation during the dark days of the COVID-19 outbreak, citizens all over the island put up national day flags as a sign of solidarity. It’s all fun and games, however, until someone gets fined.
Come 30 September 2020, this might be your reality should you forget to take your flag down. Any citizen who continues to display the national flag after 30 September will risk being fined up to S$1,000 under the Singapore Arms and Flag and National Anthem Rules.
The Singapore flag can be displayed outside a building or in an open space without a flagpole typically between 1 July and 30 September 2020. However, the timeframe was extended earlier this year, starting from 25 April for rallying reasons.
The Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) said that this was done in response to requests from the public. “One consideration for allowing the display of the flag will be whether we can safeguard the dignity of the flag, including how it could be subject to wear and tear resulting from extended display or neglect,” said senior director of MCCY’s resilience and engagement division, Mr Letchumanan Narayanan.
Ms Tin Pei Ling, MP for MacPherson and member of Government Parliamentary Committee for Culture, Community and Youth, also added that displaying the national flag was a good way for Singaporeans to express their love for the nation, on the condition that the flags are correctly hung and properly maintained.
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