A landowner in Tanjung Malim has cried foul after highway maintenance company Propel Bhd "trespassed" into his property and tore down a billboard bearing PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim's photo.

According to the police report made by Shahbudin Abdul Khatab, Propel workers pulled down the billboard at 11pm on Nov 23.

The billboard had faced north-bound traffic along the North-South Highway.

NONE Shahbudin ( left ), who is the PKR Tanjong Malim parliamentary constituency election director, told a press conference in Petaling Jaya yesterday that a commercial advertisement billboard next to the PKR billboard was left untouched.

He said he was not given prior notice before the billboard was sawn down.

He admitted that he did not have a licence to put up the billboard, but insisted this was not necessary because it was put up on private property.

In his police report, Shahbudin said he went to the Propel office in Slim River to seek an explanation and was told by an officer that the company had acted on the Perak government's instructions.

After this, he said, he went to the Behrang police station, where the station head told him that the Perak state secretary, National Security Council and Tanjong Malim District Council had made complaints about the billboard.

When contacted, however, Behrang police station chief Rosli Lisut denied that he had spoken to Shahbudin about the complainants.

However, Shahbudin later maintained that Rosli did speak to him and that this was witnessed by Tanjong Malim PKR leader Azhar Mardin.

Shahbudin had lodged a police report on Sunday morning, demanding compensation from those responsible for bringing down the billboard.

'Due process not followed '

The billboard was part of a nationwide billboard campaign by PKR to highlight Pakatan Rakyat's policies.

NONE Perak PKR vice-chairperson Mahdi Hasan, who facilitated the press conference, said the main issues involved were trespass into private property and lack of due process in the action of the authorities.

"We didn't see it being brought down, but from the admission of the personnel involved, they were acting on instructions from Ipoh," Mahdi said, adding that Shahbudin is contemplating legal action.

He said many billboards have been erected on private property facing the highway, and that this has been done without local government permission.

PKR publicity chief Muhammad Nur Manuty in a press statement condemned the encroachment into Shahbudin's property and blamed Umno and BN for the incident.

"PKR also urges the police to take immediate action against the trespass," Muhammad said.

Contacted today, an officer at the Propel office at Slim River declined comment and instead told Malaysiakini to approach North-South Highway concessionaire PLUS Bhd.

PLUS Bhd spokesperson Nizam Ismail said he would need to find out more about the incident before commenting.