Two banners displayed to reinforce calls for the resignation of Works Minister S Samy Vellu were allegedly removed about an hour after these were put up by Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) in Kuala Lumpur this morning.

At 11.30am, PKR hung banners with the words ' What do we want? Samy out now ' and ' bela hak rakyat, pecat Samy segera ' (defend people's rights, sack Samy immediately) on the overhead bridge outside the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (SCAH), off Jalan Maharajalela.

The PKR delegation, led by vice-presidents R Sivarasa and Dr Xavier Jayakumar, then held a press conference which ended at 12.15pm.

Fifteen minutes later, a group of about 15 men led by MIC central working committee member-cum-senator M Saravanan arrived ( photo ) and told the remaining PKR members and journalists to disperse, according to PKR leader Badrul Hisham Shaharin who was present.

Three policemen arrived at this juncture and told the PKR members to take down their banners and leave.

"Before we could respond, the group suddenly pushed me and my friends aside roughly, tore off the banners and handed them to the policemen," said Badrul, who lodged a report at the Dang Wangi district police headquarters later.

Motorists passing the area before the incident had honked in support of the campaign, which criticises the failure of a number of projects under the works ministry's supervision.

No 'private dialogue'

Earlier, Sivarasa said PKR leaders would launch a similar banner campaign in other states in demanding the minister's resignation because this would be "much more visible".

He disagreed with Samy Vellu's call to those unhappy with his ministry's performance to meet him personally and thrash out the problems behind closed doors.

"The discussion shouldn't be a private dialogue, it should be accountable to the public," Sivarasa said, adding that any minister responsible for wastage of public money or endangering life must resign.

"We won't just stop at Samy Vellu," he said.

He was also unfazed by the possibility that the minister - who is also MIC president - may initiate legal action.

"It would be a serious mistake for him politically and legally because what we have said is based on facts. He will face a lot of problems if he wants to sue us for defamation," said Sivarasa, a lawyer by profession.

Samy Vellu had threatened legal action against SCAH after it announced plans to put up a huge banner at the overhead bridge, calling for his resignation. The plan has since been shelved.

'Make report public'

Jayakumar said Samy Vellu's report submitted to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi last Tuesday should be made public.

"Don't bury the report with other files under an administrative process," he said.

Jayakumar also threw his support behind Barisan Nasional backbenchers who had voiced dissatisfaction with the minister in the Dewan Rakyat recently.

"They shouldn't just stop at questioning (the minister) but also should hold him accountable," he said.

Samy Vellu, after briefing the premier last week on six problematic government projects under his ministry, was later quoted as saying that Abdullah was satisfied with his explanation and that the issue of his resignation did not arise.

A day later, however, Health Minister Dr Chua Soi Lek said the explanation given by Samy Vellu over the fungal problem at the Sultan Ismail Hospital in Johor was unacceptable .