The erection of several billboards in the state urging that former opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim be freed from prison has been defended by the political secretary to the Selangor menteri besar, Shuhaimi Shafiei.

Shuhaimi reacted after Umno accused the state government of being in contempt of court for allowing such billboards.

However, he insisted that there was nothing wrong about the billboards urging freedom for Anwar, who was in February last year sentenced to five years’ jail for sodomy, a charge Anwar claims is politically-motivated.

“There is no issue of being in contempt of court. It is just a campaign urging the people to come together in Anwar’s spirit to stand for justice and reject injustice,” Shuhaimi said.

He noted that Anwar is also recognised as a political detainee by the United Nations.

Shuhaimi ( photo ) added that the billboards were put up with the permission of the local council governments.

Dismissing criticism the billboards were an abuse of power, Suhaimi said the PKR party logo on the billboards merely signified the sponsor of the campaign.

He also deflected Umno’s criticism, stating that the Selangor government has not made an issue of billboards that carry the BN logo in the state.

“The state government has never, through the local councils, blocked any BN billboard, like those in Sabah Bernam.

“The state government believes in freedom of information and defends that right,” he said.

Claiming the billboards were an abuse of public funds, Umno Youth exco member Armand Azha Abu Hanifah is expected to lodge a police report on the matter today.