Kuala Terengganu City Council (MBKT) last night made a clean sweep of the political party flags put up in the city, saying it is against Election Commission (EC) rules.

According to Sinar Harian, Kuala Terengganu mayor Samiun Salleh said the council had issued a notice prohibiting flags from public places such as bridges, roundabouts and mosques, particularly if they posed safety hazards.

“We had also spoken to party representatives to explain which locations are prohibited.

“Unfortunately there are those among them who have not abided by the rules, so we are forced to remove their party flags,” Samiun was reported as saying, citing local bylaws on putting up signage.

He added the EC’s regulations stipulate party flags cannot be put up until nomination day, April 28.

A photograph accompanying the report showed BN, PAS and PKR flags alike being loaded onto a lorry.

In contrast, BN flags were reported being put up in the federal administrative capital, notably outside Pakatan Harapan chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad's office in Putrajaya this week.

The (local authority) Putrajaya Corporation (PPJ) was reported as saying it had exercised its discretion in allowing the flags to be put up.

“(That case) is more to discretion. To me, it’s really not much of an issue,” PPJ president Hasim Ismail was reported as saying by Malay Mail.

“The whole of Malaysia is like that now. Everyone now is already in the election mode. The entire nation. Not just in Putrajaya,” Hasim was reported as saying - but he did not reply when asked if the parties concerned had permits to put up the flags.