Another billboard controversy erupts in Sg Besar

SUNGAI BESAR: Another billboard controversy erupted here today when Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Budiman Mohd Zohdi had an altercation with DAP Sekinchan assemblyman Ng Suee Lim over an alleged BN poster put up on a DAP owned billboard frame.
Budiman denied that the poster was from the BN and labelled it as a "cheap tactic" to smear his reputation.
"This is a cheap tactic to smear my reputation, the posters put up are not the standard posters that have been used in my campaign," he said in a press conference to clear the air over the issue.
"He (Ng) accosted me while I was on my walkabout in the Sekinchan area over the billboard. I told him that I had no knowledge of the poster," he said.
The poster in question bore the image of Budiman in a suit and tie with the BN logo and it read "Vote for the BN candidate".
"I laughed when I saw the poster, that is not me, I am a 'kampung boy'. The suit and blazer picture is not something I would put up on my billboards," he said adding that he didn't want to respond to Ng's provocations earlier.
He said that he is getting legal counsel on whether he should lodge a report on the wrongful banner that was put up.
The issue of posters and banners has been a controversial talking point as DAP admitted on Wednesday to putting up racially slanderous posters about BN in the Sekinchan area.
DAP's Tony Pua later admitted to putting up the posters.
Meanwhile, Parti Amanah Negara communications director Khalid Abdul Samad said the controversial billboards in Sekinchan were erected to express the unhappiness of the Chinese community to remarks allegedly uttered by Umno Sungai Besar chief Datuk Jamal Mohd Yunos.
"Pua had explained to me that the Chinese community have long held their feelings over the remarks made by Jamal until today," Khalid told a press conference at DAP's Sekinchan office.
Admitting that Amanah was not consulted by DAP before the billboards were erected, Khalid said both parties had agreed that similar billboards would not be erected again throughout the campaign period.
"This is not a question of a lack of coordination (between DAP and Amanah). They wanted to let it be known that they are not happy about this issue. We accept it as the reality of their feelings and emotions," he added.
Khalid stressed that Jamal has to come out with an apology to the Chinese community for hurting their feelings.
Meanwhile, in KUALA KANGSAR, PAS dared those putting up provocative billboards to state their accusations publicly so the party could take legal action on them.
In issuing the warning, party vice-president Idris Ahmad said the billboards which accused PAS of cooperating with BN were something unbecoming.
He repeated his call for these accusations to be stated publicly so the party can take legal action.
"We challenge them to say it in the media," he told a press conference at the party's operation centre accompanied by Perak PAS commissioner Razman Zakaria.