The Election Commission has ordered the removal of several contentious banners and billboards by both Barisan Nasional and PAS in the Bagan Pinang constituency.

Port Dickson Municipal Council (MPPD) officers were seen removing several BN billboards along Jalan Pantai, the main road in the constituency, this evening.

bagan pinang by election 061009 mppd track stop near dap oc Among the billboards removed included one that suggested PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim was instigating riots and another with the message "Reject PAS, a party which cannot bring development" and "Reject PAS, don't be manipulated".

However, MPPD failed to remove a banner and a billboard owned by PKR and DAP respectively after minor arguments with party supporters.

Contacted later, Negri Sembilan EC director Abdul Latiff Baba said the materials were removed because it contained words or phrases that were unsuitable.

ec mppd remove banner billboard 061009 bn banner "They were words or phrases that can be categorised as unsuitable, which can cause the public to become angry," he said.

Asked if the removal of banners was a response to the slew of accusations by opposition parties that only their campaign materials were being removed, Abdul Latiff sidestepped the question and said the action was taken based on a previous meeting between all parties.

He said the EC had met both BN and PAS after the nomination process where it was agreed that campaign material cannot include messages that can hurt the feelings of others.

bagan pinang by election 061009 tolak pas billboard gone "It is better for the contesting parties to just display their manifesto and campaign message without resorting to provocation," he said.

PKR and DAP in particular have expressed discontent over the removal of their banners, ostensibly by EC enforcement officers, but BN-linked parties seem to be allowed to erect banners and billboards with impunity.

Previously, the EC had declared that only contesting parties are allowed to display with logos or campaign materials, but several BN-linked parties appear to be allowed to do so freely.

Banners with statement of facts

Earlier today, MPPD officers had a brief confrontation with Pakatan Rakyat supporters at the PAS operations centre in Batu 6, Jalan Pantai over a banner which highlighted BN's failed promises for the Rembau parliamentary constituency.

Rembau PKR division chief Badrul Hisham Shaharin who was at the scene told reporters that although Section 24 of the Election Offences Act forbids personal attacks, he said the banner was a statement of facts and should not fall into that category.

ec mppd remove banner billboard 061009 dap banner A similar confrontation occurred when the MPPD officers tried to take down a billboard near the DAP operations centre in Batu 9, Jalan Pantai.

This billboard labelled BN as "cruel" and showed pictures of deceased DAP political aide Teoh Beng Hock and police custody victim A Kugan.

Selangor DAP committee member Ronnie Liu said the billboard was not meant to provoke anyone but to state a fact that the duo had died under the hands of law enforcers governed by BN.

"In an election, DAP is allowed to air its views. Let the people decide. The EC and other agencies should not cause trouble," he said.

[Additional reporting by Low Chia Ming and Salhan K Ahmad]