Nine Australian men were arrested at the F1 Sepang International Circuit on Sunday for “intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of the peace” and public indecency after they stripped down to their Jalur Gemilang-print underwear at the Malaysian Grand Prix.

Following the incident, netizens took to social media to air their opinions – some accusing the infamous nine of being disrespectful and engaging in stupid behaviour, while others thought their antics humorous.

One thing for sure was that this was a premeditated act and not something done at the spur of moment as suggested by some quarters – the Aussies were neither spurred by the exhilaration by their countrymen’s victory nor intoxicated. The Malaysian national flag-themed underwear they donned was purchased online in Australia for AUD55 before their flight to Malaysia.

But what actually did they do to justify the charge of public indecency and the act of disrespecting our cultural sensitivities?

Was it the underwear?

Let’s say I put on a pair of shorts, and a strapless top and strut around the Grand Prix arena. Will I be considered indecently dressed? Would tight briefs instead of those shorts make any difference on the “indecency” spectrum? How about a braless, belly-exposing strapless top paired with those tight briefs?

Bear in mind, by dressing as such, I am no more naked than those sexy racing models we see so often in similar racing championships – if society is acceptable to a female dressing in such a manner, why is it wrong when a male does the same?

Ultimately, who makes the final judgement on what is deemed “indecent”? The people? The police? The judge?

Or was it the Malaysian flag?

Some argue that many countries allow people to wear clothes bearing the print of their national flags – on bikinis, briefs, shirts, pants, caps, beanies, bandanas and socks – however, no one has ever been remanded and investigated for wearing such attire.

Even Malaysian celebrities such as Sudirman Arshad, Nasha Aziz, Siti Nurhaliza to name a few, have adorned clothes carrying the print of our national flag but as far as I know, no investigation files were opened on any one of them by the police.

Which brings me to the question – why is it all of a sudden deemed “insulting” to wear the Jalur Gemilang?

Or perhaps it was the combination of both?

If wearing boxers and briefs on private property is permissible and covering oneself in our national flag is also permissible, but for some reason, covering one’s private areas with the national flag in public is not allowed – then would it simply not have been easier if the authorities advised these foreigners that their actions were deemed indecent in our country and demand they put their pants back on?

After all, they were not a bunch of hooligans trying to create problems – they were merely over-excited dudes from Down Under in their underwear.

For the record, I think it was distasteful of the men to be clad in only their underwear (and nothing else) during an international sporting event. Likewise, I think wearing a nation’s symbol of pride on their bums was a stupid call on their part. However, I believe none of the men were trying to insult the Jalur Gemilang per se.

As a matter of fact, I can think of a few ways in which Malaysians themselves have shown disrespect to our national flag:

• Printing pictures of our Jalur Gemilang in school note books – don’t these usually end up torn, dumped into garbage bins or even worse, burnt?
• Packing Malaysian made candies in transparent plastic cylinders adorned with a plastic Jalur Gemilang? Don’t these too end up clogging drains or strewn on our streets to be stepped on by the pedestrians before finally finding its way to the garbage disposal bin?
• What about those old, dirty, faded and torn Jalur Gemilang still flying on flag poles around the country? Do they display the pride of the nation?

Why aren’t we being sensitive about these things? Why be selective when it comes to what is considered insulting and insensitive?

Weren’t we all taught in school that part and parcel of respecting our national flag was to never allow it to touch the ground, be flown upside down, or set afire? Why then are we freely disrespecting and insulting our own flags while punishing a group of foreigners who had no intention to deliberately do the same?

If remanding those nine men from Austaralia is justified in order to teach them a lesson on how to abide by our cultural standards and laws, I suggest similar laws be applied to us, Malaysians, as well.

After all, judging from the way Malaysians disregard our Jalur Gemilang, we are as guilty, if not more, than those nine from Down Under.

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