This year’s Merdeka Day logo is so “horrible” and “worthless” that it should not even appear as artwork in any media, said PAS Youth.

“Even if (the logo) is now only promotional artwork and not the official logo as Information, Communications and Culture Minister Rais Yatim has said, it is too horrible and completely worthless of artistic merit.

NONE “This artwork should not appear at all in any media in relation to the Merdeka Day celebration,”  said PAS Youth information chief Riduan Mohd Nor in a statement today.

“In our view, the careless and complacent attitude of the Ministry in deciding on the Merdeka Day logo ... gives the people a negative impression of the government.”

This year’s Merdeka Day celebrations has courted unending controversy with the ruling party stumbling from one blunder to another, the latest of which is the celebration logo that has been described as “ appalling ” and “ a laughing stock ”.

The public has also taken issue with the celebration theme that is seen as BN propaganda, as well as the Merdeka theme song whose pitiful lyrics Rais himself had penned.

NONE Netizens have also claimed that the song may not be original, and have circulated a video of a similar sounding ditty on Youtube .

In the wake of huge public outcry, Rais yesterday announced on Twitter that the logo has been scrapped and replaced with the generic 1Malaysia logo.

However he added cryptically that the contentious design will remain as “ artwork to support the celebrations”, without elaborating what that would entail.

The minister also stood firm the that theme ‘Janji ditepati’, which is also BN’s campaign slogan, would stay.

‘Najib PM for Umno only?’

Riduan added the present theme was not fit to be used for the celebrations as it is BN’s political campaign slogan that should only be addressed to their voters, not for the general public.

NONE “It brings the message as if the government is coercing the public to support the ruling party, because only it alone can keep promises,” he said.

He said PM Najib Razak should behave more professionally and not bring partisan politics into a national celebrations.

“Does he want to be prime minister only for Umno and BN members, and not for the whole country?

“If he wants to be PM for all citizens, then he needs to change the logo and the theme to something that is more in line with the sentiments of the rakyat...” he said.