A SARAWAK independence activist has lodged a report against police after officers yesterday seized from him an old version of the state flag.

The incident took place when Bobby Williams was on his way to join a convoy in Miri to commemorate Sarawak Day.

He said the cops who seized the flag, which has the yellow, red and black of the current flag, with a crown at the centre, told him that it is illegal to fly it as it is “not the official state flag”.

“I didn’t realise it was an offence to fly, or even possess, the flag,” he told The Malaysian Insight, adding that he was not arrested.

He said he lodged the report against police to prompt an investigation into the officers’ claim.

“I don’t think there’s a law that says it’s illegal and I can’t fly the flag. The claim (by the officers) made me really angry.”

The “crown flag” was used by the White Rajahs from 1870 to 1946, followed by the state from 1963 to 1973.

Williams was stopped at a roadblock in Jalan Marina as he was heading to the convoy’s meeting point at Miri Times Square.

The convoy, jointly organised by pro-independence groups Gabungan Anak Sarawak, Sarawak for Sarawakians and Sarawak Independence Alliance, was prevented by police from proceeding for failing to get a permit under the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012. The permit was not granted due to Covid-19 concerns.

The event then turned into a march to the town centre.

A photo of police seizing Williams’ flag has gone viral on social media.

Sarawak police commissioner Aidi Ismail said the flag was not seized over the question of its legality.

“It is not an offence to fly the old flag,” he said, adding that flags belonging to nine other activists, too, were taken as evidence of their participation in an unauthorised event.

“The rally was not approved by the officer in charge of Miri district.”

Williams insists that the officers told him that the flag is illegal.

“I was not even in a convoy (when the seizure happened). They can’t charge me with participating in one.

“I was only on my way to it.”

Dominique Ng of Sarawak Association for People’s Aspiration said there is no law stating that flying the crown flag is illegal, and that the incident yesterday is part of a harassment campaign against independence activists.

The lawyer and PKR member has said he was subjected to harassment from 2005 to 2013 for holding a Malaysia Day flag-raising ceremony at Padang Merdeka in Kuching.

The pestering ended when Putrajaya recognised Malaysia Day in 2013. – July 23, 2020.