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Economy

Kulai council shuts Autotech Automotive factory over inverted flags

The Kulai Municipal Council has suspended the operating licence of Autotech Automotive Malaysia Sdn Bhd and ordered its factory closed after the company flew the national and Johor state flags upside down.

Source: The Rakyat Post · August 17, 2026 at 10:22 PM · AI-assisted report

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KULAI, JOHOR, 18 AUGUST 2026 —

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The Kulai Municipal Council has suspended the operating licence of Autotech Automotive Malaysia Sdn Bhd and ordered its factory closed after the company flew the national and Johor state flags upside down.

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Council enforcement officers sealed the gates of the facility in i-Park Indahpura on the same day the inverted flags were discovered, according to The Rakyat Post. The local authority acted under By-Law 49(2) for premises closure and By-Law 45(1) on flag hoisting under the Local Government By-Laws on Trade, Businesses, and Industrial Licensing 2019.

Operations at the Kulai site will remain suspended until Autotech Automotive management submits a formal written explanation to the council. Johor State Executive Councillor Jafni Shukor confirmed the enforcement action, stating the flags represent national and state sovereignty, dignity and identity, and that authorities cannot treat the breach lightly.

Initial enforcement actions in flag display cases do not require proof of intent, The Rakyat Post reported. Similar actions took place in August 2020 when police arrested four individuals after a factory in Tebrau hoisted both flags upside down, while the Pontian Municipal Council ordered a Pekan Nanas mini market to close for 30 days in August 2025 over an inverted state flag.

Enforcement has also extended to digital depictions. In September 2025, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission issued a RM100,000 compound to Sin Chew Media Corporation after the publisher posted an incorrect image of the Jalur Gemilang on social media.

Related: Autotech Automotive Malaysia Sdn Bhd · Kulai Municipal Council (MPKu) · Jafni Shukor · Kulai, Johor

Reporting based on The Rakyat Post. Figures and claims are subject to revision as the story develops. DomainFork publishes editorial context, not investment advice — see our editorial standards.