Deputy minister: Info Dept ready to face polls

The Information Department was ready to face the 13th general election, expected to be called soon, Deputy Information Communication and Culture Minister Maglin Denis D'Cruz said today.

He said the department was currently sending its staff for training, among others, to inform the public of their responsibility as voters.

"The Information Department and our machinery are ready. In fact, it has been our practice all this while that whenever a general election ended, we keep our machinery ready for the impending election."

D'Cruz said this at a press conference after officiating a banana leaf cultural feast programme at the Bestari Jaya Tamil school near Kuala Selangor.

The programme was organised by the Selangor National Department for Culture and Arts, with the cooperation of the Ijok Smart Community.

Manoharan ticked off

Meanwhile, the deputy minister regretted a suggestion by DAP's Kota Alam Shah assemblyman M Manoharan to replace the national flag as he felt it represented BN.

He said such remarks could mislead the public, especially the younger generation, on the historical facts of the country.

"I believe he (Manoharan) himself carried the national flag during his schooldays. This shows that the opposition tends to forget about the country, once they get a position."

Recently, Manoharan posted a remark on his Facebook page that he would be distributing DAP flags on Malaysia Day, in place of the Jalur Gemilang as he felt the national flag represented the BN.

Commenting further, D'Cruz said the prime minister not only focused on the general election but also protected the country from attempts by some irresponsible quarters to confuse the public, concerning its (country's) historical facts.

He said there were many cases of infighting in the opposition pact, concerning various issues such as hudud law, and felt it was done only for political interest.

Earlier at the event, he announced a RM5,000 allocation for the school.

- Bernama