Shut up about 1 Malaysia ban, Liu tells Khir Toyo
By Boo Su-Lyn
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 28 – Ronnie Liu told Datuk Seri Dr Khir Toyo today to keep quiet about Selangor’s controversial ban on 1 Malaysia billboards.
The Selangor executive councillor insisted that local laws prohibited political billboards, and claimed that political banners could only be displayed at business premises as long as local councils did not view such banners as “propaganda”.
“They can’t simply put up political banners without applying for permits,” Liu told The Malaysian Insider today.
“If the local council views it as a political campaign, it may say ‘no’. There is a fine line between an event and propaganda,” he added.
Yesterday, Dr Khir accused Liu of being “uneducated” about local laws and said Selangor’s by-laws allowed business premises to display political logos.
The former Selangor mentri besar also stressed that the ban on political banners only applied to areas under the authority of the local municipal councils, such as lampposts and streets.
Today, Liu maintained that the Selangor by-laws allowed political parties to announce political functions by displaying buntings throughout the state.
“We allow parties to do their ‘ceramah’ and put up banners. All we are saying is that billboards or signboards cannot be political propaganda,” he said.
The Pandamaran assemblyman called the 1 Malaysia logo a political message from the Barisan Nasional (BN) federal government as it was frequently used in tandem with the BN symbol.
“They always use BN and 1 Malaysia together,” said Liu. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has defended his brainchild concept, saying 1 Malaysia was not a political tool, but rather a tool to foster racial unity.
Today, Liu said the 2007 Selangor by-law on advertising clearly banned political advertisements.
“Under clause 17... there is a list of advertisements called prohibited advertisements. One of these items is political advertisements,” said the Selangor housing and local government committee chief.
“What is so difficult to understand?” he asked.
Liu claimed that Dr Khir was ignorant of the state law.
“Khir Toyo knows nothing. He’d better keep his mouth shut,” said Liu.
He also denied the Sungai Panjang assemblyman’s claims that the ban was a political move by the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) state government.
“It is not because Pakatan Rakyat wants to find fault with BN,” said Liu.
“This ban on political advertisements is across the board, not only Selangor. All 145 local councils in the country, by and large, practise similar laws,” he added.
Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia has accused PR of fearing Najib’s concept, which was introduced in April 2009 when he took office.
DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang has also urged Selangor to rethink its 1 Malaysia billboard ban, to disprove BN’s claims that the opposition pact was afraid of the concept.
The ban was reportedly “frozen” pending a review at the next Selangor state executive councillor meeting, which is expected to be held in early January.
Liu, however, disputed such media reports and stressed that he had merely ordered local councils to refrain from removing 1 Malaysia billboards before the meeting.
“We have not frozen the ban. They still cannot put up 1 Malaysia billboards,” said Liu.
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 28 – Ronnie Liu told Datuk Seri Dr Khir Toyo today to keep quiet about Selangor’s controversial ban on 1 Malaysia billboards.
The Selangor executive councillor insisted that local laws prohibited political billboards, and claimed that political banners could only be displayed at business premises as long as local councils did not view such banners as “propaganda”.
“They can’t simply put up political banners without applying for permits,” Liu told The Malaysian Insider today.
“If the local council views it as a political campaign, it may say ‘no’. There is a fine line between an event and propaganda,” he added.
Yesterday, Dr Khir accused Liu of being “uneducated” about local laws and said Selangor’s by-laws allowed business premises to display political logos.
The former Selangor mentri besar also stressed that the ban on political banners only applied to areas under the authority of the local municipal councils, such as lampposts and streets.
Today, Liu maintained that the Selangor by-laws allowed political parties to announce political functions by displaying buntings throughout the state.
“We allow parties to do their ‘ceramah’ and put up banners. All we are saying is that billboards or signboards cannot be political propaganda,” he said.
The Pandamaran assemblyman called the 1 Malaysia logo a political message from the Barisan Nasional (BN) federal government as it was frequently used in tandem with the BN symbol.
“They always use BN and 1 Malaysia together,” said Liu. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has defended his brainchild concept, saying 1 Malaysia was not a political tool, but rather a tool to foster racial unity.
Today, Liu said the 2007 Selangor by-law on advertising clearly banned political advertisements.
“Under clause 17... there is a list of advertisements called prohibited advertisements. One of these items is political advertisements,” said the Selangor housing and local government committee chief.
“What is so difficult to understand?” he asked.
Liu claimed that Dr Khir was ignorant of the state law.
“Khir Toyo knows nothing. He’d better keep his mouth shut,” said Liu.
He also denied the Sungai Panjang assemblyman’s claims that the ban was a political move by the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) state government.
“It is not because Pakatan Rakyat wants to find fault with BN,” said Liu.
“This ban on political advertisements is across the board, not only Selangor. All 145 local councils in the country, by and large, practise similar laws,” he added.
Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia has accused PR of fearing Najib’s concept, which was introduced in April 2009 when he took office.
DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang has also urged Selangor to rethink its 1 Malaysia billboard ban, to disprove BN’s claims that the opposition pact was afraid of the concept.
The ban was reportedly “frozen” pending a review at the next Selangor state executive councillor meeting, which is expected to be held in early January.
Liu, however, disputed such media reports and stressed that he had merely ordered local councils to refrain from removing 1 Malaysia billboards before the meeting.
“We have not frozen the ban. They still cannot put up 1 Malaysia billboards,” said Liu.
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