Selangor bans 1M’sia logo on billboard ads

Thursday December 23, 2010
Selangor bans 1M’sia logo on billboard ads
By A. RUBAN
ruban_22@thestar.com.my

KLANG: Selangor has banned advertisements on billboards that feature the 1Malaysia logo.

The 1Malaysia logo is a political logo, said state Housing and Local Government Committee chairman Ronnie Liu, adding that this contravenes local by-laws.

“You don’t see any billboard in Selangor carrying the PKR, PAS or DAP logo,” he told The Star, adding that the prohibition was not a new development.

“Local government by-laws in Selangor clearly state that political symbols cannot be used on billboard advertisements,” said Liu.

He said the 1Malaysia advertisements were a political message of the Barisan Nasional.

“It is clear that Barisan is pushing hard for the 1Malaysia concept and to send out its message to the people,” he said, adding that it was nothing but a political agenda and not allowed in the state.

He said it was only at certain times, such as a general election, that such advertisements would be allowed.

“Not on normal days,” he said.

“There are no DAP, PAS or PKR advertisements on the streets. It should be the same for Barisan,” added Liu.

He said the state government sent out circulars to all local and district councils in Selangor recently to reiterate the prohibition because certain quarters had wanted to include the 1Malaysia logo in their billboard advertisements.

“There was enthusiasm to add the logo in advertisements by certain quarters.

“So we had to remind the councils to be firm in prohibiting it,” he said.

Asked if Selangor was the only opposition state to ban 1Malaysia billboard advertisements, Liu said he was unsure of it.

Meanwhile, workers from the Kuala Langat district council tore down an advertisement bearing the 1Malaysia logo from a convenience store, sparking protest from about 50 people who included Umno and MIC members.

Store owner K. Thiagarajan, 26, said he and his two partners were shocked that they were not allowed to place a 1Malaysia poster in front of their shop.

“I obtained permission from the district council in September to put up the poster and was taken aback when I was summoned last Thursday to remove the advertisement,” he told reporters before submitting a complaint to council president Abdul Razak Jaafar.

“It is unfair to ask us to remove the poster, especially after we were given permission to put it up,” added Thiagarajan, who was accompanied by his lawyer.