SINGAPORE - Choa Chu Kang Town Council has lodged a police report after China's national flag was displayed at a Housing Board block.

Replying to queries from The Straits Times, a town council spokesman said on Wednesday (Aug 7) that the flag, which was displayed at Block 489B, Choa Chu Kang Avenue 5, has been taken down.

He said the police report was made after a resident alerted the town council about the incident.

The spokesman said that the town council would not comment further on the matter as police investigations are underway.

A reader who took photographs of the flag, which was on the parapet, and reported it to citizen journalism site Stomp, said that the flag was displayed on Monday morning.

The National Emblems (Control of Display) Act states that displaying any flag or national emblem that is not that of Singapore in public is considered an offence.

When an emblem is visible to the public in any place where the public has right of way or has access, it is considered as being displayed in public.

Those found flouting the rules could be jailed up to six months, fined up to $500 or both.

Exceptions to the Act include displays of a foreign flag or national emblem by diplomatic representatives of a foreign power to Singapore where authorisation has been granted by the Government, and displays on ships or aircraft.