ASEAN Flag Should Be Made Official Flag To Build Regional Identity

By Salawaty Supardi PUTRAJAYA (Malaysia), July 14 (Bernama) -- The ASEAN flag, which symbolises unity of the ASEAN countries, should be made an official flag by all ASEAN member countries towards building the ASEAN identity, says an academician. A senior lecturer in political and international affairs, Centre of International Studies, Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM, a Malaysian public university), Md Shukri Shuib said if that could be done, it would spur the building of a positive image for ASEAN as a dynamic regional organisation. "Although ASEAN is not a union like the European Union (EU), it is not wrong if the governments heads of the member countries make the ASEAN flag an official flag along with their respective national flags. "This has to be done fast as an agenda by ASEAN in institutionalising the ASEAN community," he told Bernama. If that cannot be done, he said the ASEAN flag should be hoisted at all government premises, schools and the embassy buildings of member countries. He said if government departments and agencies were to fly the ASEAN flag, it could bring the organisation closer to the people. "This requires determination of the governments of ASEAN member countries and the building of the ASEAN identity starts from school," he added. The ASEAN member countries are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. --BERNAMA