SINGAPORE: Rules on how to use the Singapore flag will soon be eased under the National Symbols Act and Regulations, which comes into effect on Tuesday (Aug 1).
The National Symbols Act and Regulations, which provides a framework to promote the appropriate use of the national and presidential symbols, comes into effect on Tuesday.
Key changes under the regulations include stronger safeguards to protect the national symbols from being misused and more clarity on the respectful use of the symbols, said the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) in a media release on Monday.
The National Symbols Act and its Regulations will replace the Singapore Arms and Flag and National Anthem (SAFNA) Act, which was enacted in 1959 to govern the use of Singapore's state crest, national flag and national anthem.
The new Act aims to provide a framework to promote appropriate use of the national and presidential symbols, while allowing for wider use of some symbols for Singaporeans to express national pride and solidarity, said the ministry.
Here are the key changes to rules governing the use of the Singapore flag:
DISPLAY
The Minister for Culture, Community and Youth may now allow the national flag to be displayed outside the National Day period - July to September - without a flagpole and illumination at night.
Under the SAFNA Act and Rules, any changes to the display period required the legislation to be amended.
“This change is in response to calls from Singaporeans to fly the national flag from their homes on occasions of national significance beyond National Day, as an expression of national pride and solidarity,” said MCCY.
Those who wish to use the national flag or its image for commercial or decorative purposes during the National Day period will no longer have to seek approval from the minister.
Additionally, the flag can now also be displayed or carried flat or horizontally. When displayed against a vertical wall or flat surface, the flag should be placed with the crescent and stars on the top position as seen by a person facing it from the outside of the building.
It should also not be obscured or overlapped by footwear or laundry.
The national flag should also not be flown or displayed upside-down. It should always be displayed with the crescent moon and five stars at the corner of the upper left red section of the flag near the pole, except where military or international aviation and naval protocol prescribe otherwise, said MCCY.
ATTIRE
Under the changes, the national flag and its image can be used on attire for non-commercial purposes all year round without needing permission from the minister, as long as it is used respectfully.
When the image of the national flag is used on clothing, it should be positioned above the waist. The image should not be on attire considered inappropriate such as undergarments or at areas intended to be dirtied, such as across the front of a face mask.
If the image of the national flag is used in attire for the purpose of representing the country, it should be positioned near the top and not covering areas deemed inappropriate or intended to be dirtied.
The flag should also not be used on items meant to be dirtied, such as flip-flops.
DESIGN FOR MODERN USE
With recent technological advances facilitating the use of digital copies of the national symbols, the new regulations will broaden the scope to cover digital and other types of reproduction of symbols and to provide guidance on their respectful use, said MCCY.
The production and display of flags with modified or distorted designs of the national flag will be prohibited.
Images of the national flag or elements can be incorporated into other creative illustrations. However, the depiction of the flag should not deviate greatly from the original design. This includes changing the colour of the national flag or depicting images of torn, broken or tattered flags.
The Singapore flag image should also not be used on items that would be torn or thrown away, such as plastic packaging, paper napkins and trash bags.
It should also not be used on products or on parts of products that are meant to be dirtied, like tablecloths, doormats or car tyres.
It is also inappropriate to use the image of the national flag for items used at funerals and related events and as false endorsement of products and services.
STOP ORDER
A new stop order power will be instituted for disrespectful use of the national flag, including images of the flag, and distorted or modified but still recognisable elements of the flag. Failure to comply with a stop order will constitute an offence.
The stop order power will also apply to disrespectful use of the national anthem and national pledge.
The stop order mechanism will provide clarity on what is disrespectful use and will give users a chance to correct their actions before further action is taken, MCCY said in the media release. Those served with the stop order may appeal to the minister.
PENALTIES
The regulations further calibrate the maximum penalties for various categories of offences depending on their severity.
The new maximum penalty is similar to existing penalties for defacing a national monument under the Preservation of Monuments Act 2009.
A high-severity offence involves misuse of the national symbols and disrespectful use of the national flag. For the offence, a person will face the maximum penalty of half a year in prison, a S$30,000 fine or both.
Those who do not comply with the stop orders on disrespectful use of the national flag, national pledge and national anthem may be jailed for up to six months, fined a maximum of S$20,000 or both.
The maximum penalty for the commercial misuse of the national flag, national anthem and national pledge, distortion or modification of Singapore flag design, and knowing display of damaged national flags is S$10,000 fine or six months' imprisonment term or both.
Meanwhile, anyone who fails to abide by the protocols on how to display the national flag and by regulations governing the use of the national anthem and national pledge may be fined up to S$5,000.
The regulations will also retain the existing regime for composition of offences, with a maximum composition sum of S$2,000.
