Hundreds of DAP secretary general Lim Guan Eng's posters were found torn down in Reservoir Garden area in Penang in the past three days.

According to several eye witnesses, it was done by youths living in the area, which is located at the heart of Air Putih state and Bukit Bendera parliament constituencies.

guan eng ceramah in canning ipoh 260208 pic 1 Guan Eng is the DAP candidate for Air Putih while his election strategist, Liew Chin Tong is challenging Gerakan secretary-general and incumbent Barisan Nasional MP Chia Kwang Chye for Bukit Bendera .

Liew, who visited the scene in Jalan Air Putih that leads to Reservoir Garden, said he would lodge a police reports on the vandalism.

"Such unethical act shall by condemned by all. I am not pointing the finger towards anyone.

"But I am calling on my opponent, Chia to come out openly to condemn this act. This is a blatant act against democratic practise," he said.

dap penang poster drain 290208 liew chin tong 2 Liew said on Thursday night several youths had warned a contractor hired by the party against erecting a billboard depicting DAP candidates contesting in the Bukit Bendera constituency.

"Our contractor was threatened," he told Malaysiakini .

Besides Lim and Liew, DAP state organising chief Teh Yee Cheu and the party’s national organising secretary Koay Teng Hai are contesting Tanjung Bungah and Pulau Tikus state seats respectively – also under the Bukit Bendera constituency.

Sources said police had picked up and later released a man, in his 30s, in connection with the case.

It is learnt two policemen patrolling the area arrested the man while he was tearing down posters depicting Guan Eng and the party’s rocket symbol.

Several local residents also saw a group of youths tearing DAP posters and put up Chia's in the same area at the early hours of Thursday and Friday.

Hidden force

At a press conference earlier today at the party's Air Putih election operations room, Guan Eng claimed there was "hidden force" behind the incident.

"It is clear that there is a hidden force that wants to prevent Malaysians from exercising their democratic right to a free, fair and fear-free election," he told reporters.

"Certain forces are using such desperate tactics to achieve their ends," Guan Eng said.

Liew, who was also present, said that the party's campaign staff were also prevented from putting up posters yesterday by a group of about 20 "workers of the opponents" at Reservoir Gardens.

"There were no physical clashes but there were threats,” he added.

Chia was unavailable for comment when contacted.

Mafrel to probe

Contesting political parties and candidates need to obtain permission from local authorities to put up their posters and billboards during election campaign.

They are required to dispose and dismantle them within two weeks after the polling day.

dap penang poster drain 290208 liew chin tong The Election Commission and police are empowered to monitor and take action under Election Offences Act on irresponsible persons caught destroying and vandalising candidate and party posters.

In an immediate response, polls watchdog Malaysians for Free and Fair Elections (Mafrel) - accredited as official observers for the first time by the Election Commission (EC) – condemned the incident as a "disgrace to democracy."

Mafrel’s northern region coordinator BK Ong would conduct its own investigation into the incident and make public its findings.

He called on the police and election commission to immediately probe into the incident and take stern action on those responsible.

"The enforcement units should not spare anyone. Those responsible should be charged in court," he told Malaysiakini .