The police have identified the person(s) responsible for the un-attributed election advertisement which denounced the previous government as 'corrupt' while praising premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi for his boldness and integrity.

Contacted yesterday, Petaling Jaya district police headquarters investigating officer Sarih Salleh confirmed the matter.

"We know who did this," he said, adding that the police will record statements from several witnesses.

Among them, Sarih said, would be a minister, whom he declined to name, and Parliamentary Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang.

He added that the police have also interviewed several Chinese newspaper editors over the issue.

On June 4, Lim's party DAP lodged seven police reports in various states pertaining to the advertisement, which was published in Chinese newspapers in the run-up to the March 21 polls.

The reports were lodged after Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz denied that Barisan Nasional parties were behind the advertisement. He instead blamed 'anonymous sources' for it.

Readers 'deceived'

Lim urged the police to probe if the advertisement had breached the Election Offences Act and the Printing Presses and Publications Act.

He claimed that the advertisement could have 'deceived' the 2.8 million Chinese newspaper readers into voting for the ruling front.

The full-page colour advertisement, which featured a BN logo, stated that the previous government was 'corrupt and rotten to the core.... with no aspect of life untainted by corruption'.

It added that only Abdullah had the tenacity to declare war against corruption and likened him to Justice Bao - a Chinese legendary figure synonymous with justice and integrity.

The advertisement ended with BN pledging to 'defend the people' by ensuring a clean and transparent system of governance.