Two banners showing the images of two men kissing have mysteriously appeared in a residential area in Johor Baru, just three days after PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim attracted thousands of local residents to his ceramah in that area.

Johor Jaya PKR branch chief Jimmy Puah told Malaysiakini that the two banners were spotted by party members at Taman Megah Ria yesterday morning.

Anwar is slated to visit Johor Baru tomorrow and he is due to name the PKR candidate for the Johor Baru parliamentary constituency at a ceramah in the evening.

Neither the names of the printers nor those responsible for them were stated on the banners. Neither was the local council's approval stamp seen on the banners.

NONE Although no person was named in the two identical banners, they bore words in Malay that said, "Welcome the gift of God & Welcome Huguan Siou ", to imply that at least one person in each of the banners was Anwar.

During his visit to Sabah last month, Anwar was "conferred'" with the title of Huguan Siou by a group of supporters. Huguan Siou is the title of the paramount leader of the Kadazandusun community and Anwar later denied that he was actually conferred with such a title.

The opposition leader was referred to as a 'gift of God' by his wife, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who is also PKR president, during the party's national convention in 2010.

Pictures of the banner have been published online by pro-Umno bloggers, including pro-Umno blogger Papagomo, against whom Anwar has filed a defamation suit .

Fear of Anwar's popularity

They are said to be captured from a video showing an explicit sex act between two men, one of them resembling Anwar.

However the video is yet to be released and Anwar has denied that he is the one in the video.

Puah told Malaysiakini that he believed the banners were put up to tarnish Anwar's image by those fearing the huge crowd that Anwar drew at his ceramah in Taman Megah Ria on Monday night.

"They are many Sabahans and Sarawakians staying in Taman Megah Ria. In fact, is it called 'small East Malaysia'. I believe that is why the banners used the 'Huguan Siou' word," Puah said when contacted today.

PKR members have taken down the two banners and a police report is to be lodged today.

Anwar is scheduled to visit Johor Baru again tomorrow.

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