For National Day this year, a group of policemen from Negeri Sembilan created a huge Jalur Gemilang wau to lift the spirits of Malaysians during this difficult time.
Sergeant Major Osman Awang Ahmad, the officer in charge of the Pertang Police Station in Simpang Pertang, Jelebu, Negeri Sembilan decided to take the “fly the flag” phrase literally, by creating a giant Merdeka-themed wau bulan outside the station.
Photo via Malay Mail
Speaking to Malay Mail, the 57-year-old said that he was looking for an interesting and respectful way to show his love for this country, and hopefully lift the spirits of his fellow countrymen as Malaysia approaches its 63rd year of independence.
“We only get to celebrate Merdeka once a year. So, I don’t think it’s wrong to show our national pride in this way. I think it’s noble,” he told Malay Mail.
He added, “The wau is a national symbol and it can soar high through the skies. So, that’s why I thought of making a wau out of Jalur Gemilang, to lift the spirits of all Malaysians higher.”
The wau bulan is a traditional floral-designed Malaysian kite, traditionally flown by men on the east coast and got its unique name from the crescent moon-like shape on its lower section.
Photo via Malay Mail
He and his team of seven other officers at the Pertang station put up the Jalur Gemilang wau just last week.
“It took us around 10 days to complete it. We gathered the bamboo and made the frame for the kite in about five days. Then it took us another five days to stitch the 13 Jalur Gemilang flags on it,” said Osman.
The wau gained so much attention on social media after it was shared by the official Friends of PDRM Facebook page, and garnered thousands of comments from netizens, with some even questioning the wau citing the “improper use of the flag.”
kibarkan jalur gemilang? done ✅ salam from Balai Polis Pertang #merdeka63 #jalurgemilang
Posted by Friends Of PDRM on Thursday, August 13, 2020
Osman explained that it was never their intention to upset anyone saying, “We have seen some of the negative comments online, but we choose to take it as something like constructive criticism.”
“People make shirts and songkok with the Jalur Gemilang on it to show their national pride. That’s why we made the wau. Our only intention is to show everyone how proud we are of our country,” he added.
Osman also said that there aren’t any plans to test the kite just yet, as it was built only for aesthetic purposes.
We’re not gonna lie, it looks pretty cool!
By: Aishah Akashah Ahadiat
