The Selangor government ban on the use of the 1Malaysia logo on all billboards in the state reflects opposition fear of the concept, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said today.


 The 1Malaysia vision that Prime Minister Najib Razak expounds is increasingly popular and this scares the opposition, he added.


 "They (the Selangor government) are afraid of the 1Malaysia logo which has become iconic to the people," he told reporters after attending a leaders-meet-the-people gathering in Lawas, Sarawak.


 <img align="right" alt="muhyiddin pc 200910 02" height="241" src="https://i.malaysiakini.com/285/11a55828441e346aaecaa7fd484367ef.jpg" width="185"/>
 The 1Malaysia vision has noble intentions, one of which is to unite the people regardless of their political leaning, Muhyiddin (
 
 right
 
 ) said.


 Chairman of the Selangor Housing and Local Government Committee Ronnie Liu, announcing the ban yesterday, had said that the 1Malaysia logo had a political message and that a by-law prohibited political advertisements on billboards.


 &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;


 Muhyiddin was also asked to comment on documents produced by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz that refuted the allegations of Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim that 1Malaysia was the creation of Apco Worldwide which he claimed was also responsible for the One Israel concept.


 One document was a letter from the public relations firm denying having anything to do with either concept while the other was a sworn statement from the consultant who claimed credit for the One Israel concept.


 Muhyiddin said the opposition would continue to "twist the facts" despite the clarification.


 Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Koh Tsu Koon said the ban contradicts the professed stance of the opposition parties on freedom of information and its communication to the people.


 "1Malaysia is for all and it is to foster unity among the people. It should not be viewed politically," he told reporters after presenting prizes to winners of a competition in translating local Mandarin short stories into Bahasa Malaysia.


 
 Legality of ban questioned
 


 Information, Communication and Culture Minister Dr Rais Yatim questioned the legality of the ban, citing provisions in the federal constitution on the right of assembly and freedom to display logos.


 He believed that the Selangor government was desperate to check the popularity of the 1Malaysia concept.


 Selangor Umno information chief Shukor Idrus said the ban was a &ldquo;backward action&rdquo;.


 &nbsp;


 &nbsp;He said that 1Malaysia was a concept for uniting Malaysians and the logo was not political.


 &nbsp;MCA NGO liaison bureau chief Ti Lian Ker said that 1Malaysia was aimed at forging a united Malaysia, and the Selangor government should not try to obstruct achievement of that goal.


 
 - Bernama

UPDATED 7.59PM
 

Selangor's ban on the use of the 1Malaysia logo on all billboards in the state reflects opposition fear of the concept, said the DPM.

DPM: Opposition fears 1Malaysia

~RM12

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