A war of words has erupted between the Penang Municipal Council (MPPP) and Bayan Baru MP Zahrain Mohd Hashim over banners featuring Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak for a coming event.

The 70 banners promoting the Football Association of Penang’s (FAP) fund-raising event and an Indian cultural carnival , which Najib is scheduled to attend on Saturday, were removed as they had been put up without a permit.

Last week, the council removed the banners put up along Jalan Anson, Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling, Jalan Penang, Bukit Gambir, Bukit Jambul, Jalan Datuk Keramat and around the Komtar area.

zahrain hashim parliament 180310 MPPP public health standing committee alternate chairperson Ong Ah Teong hit out at Zahrain (left) , who is also FAP president, for not respecting local regulations.

Ong said that, as Malaysians, the MPPP welcomes Najib’s visit to Penang  but pointed out that the council’s job is to enforce the law.

“Zahrain should respect the law. He is a Penangite. (The processing of an application for a permit) for banners should only take three to five days, if all conditions are fulfilled,” Ong told a press conference today.

“The act of putting up banners without a permit is against the Local Government Act 1976. Everyone needs to apply for this permit.”

Ong said Zahrain was not being respectful of Najib by involving the premier’s attendance in order to absolve himself of wrongdoing.

“I, as a ‘small fry’, know how to obey the law, and I also know that the prime minister does not have immunity against any law and that he respects the  law,” said Ong.

“If the PM knows about this, NONE he will also be sad and angry with Zahrain’s behaviour.

“The PM should (set) an example (for) all Malaysians. If the PM agrees with what Zahrain says, then the rakyat can decide what kind of PM we have.”

Ong was responding to Zahrain’s remarks blaming MPPP for delaying the FAP’s application for the permit, which Zahrain said had been submitted "some time ago".

Zahrain said the MPPP should have at least informed FAP if the application had been rejected.

When no answer was forthcoming from the council, he said, the FAP had deemed it all right to put up the banners as it was behind time in promoting the event.

Zahrain further said the banners featured the prime minister of Malaysia, not one from a communist country, and that the event promoted a sports activity, not politics.

“We need to respect the prime minister,” he said.

Action against ‘all offenders’

Ong denied that there was any intention to delay approval of the permit.

He explained that FAP representative Tong Chon Siew submitted the application on March 17 and was informed that it was rejected because he had requested for the fee to be waived.

NONE Tong did not submit another application, but begun putting up the banners, said Ong.

“So the enforcement team took down the banners from March 25 to 27. The next day they (FAP) resubmitted the application with a cheque for RM6,760 to put up 130 banners, which we approved the same day,” Ong said.

“Zahrain should have clarified this with Tong before opening his mouth. Perhaps (Tong) did not inform him for fear of being scolded. He (Tong) may have claimed that he submitted the application two weeks ago and (that) it was not approved.”

Ong further said that no one was exempted from paying the fee to put up banners - this also applied to local councillors and state representatives, including those from the ruling Pakatan Rakyat.

He said the FAP has been allowed to put up the banners, provided these displayed the council’s ‘approval’ stickers. Otherwise, they would be removed.

NONE Zahrain was reminded that the banners would have to be removed by April 8 as stated in the council’s application guidelines. Otherwise, these will be removed and the deposit paid by the association would not be refunded.

“Our enforcement team is not politically motivated. We have taken down banners featuring Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng that did not have council stickers, even though a permit had been  granted,” Ong said, showing a newspaper report as proof.

“Can he (Zahrain) recognise the person on the banner? Is he a Barisan Nasional leader?” asked Ong, pointing to the banner with Lim’s picture in the news report.