UMNO youth chief challenges opposition on logo issue

(Bernama) — Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin challenged the opposition today to state its stand on freedom of expression following the Selangor government ban on use of the 1Malaysia logo on billboards.

The ban was proof that the Selangor government was cowardly, he said, adding that the opposition should state their stand on freedom of expression to show whether they were consistent or not, sincere or hypocritical.

The Selangor government had banned the logo, saying that it was political and therefore not allowed under the state’s by-laws on advertising boards.

The Selangor government need not, and should not, go ahead with the ban, Khairy told reporters after presenting school bags and apparatus under the 1Malaysia programme at Felda Chemplak here.

On the Tenang by-election on Jan 30, he said the Barisan Nasional youth committee should not rush to carry out its campaign programme.

Khairy, who is BN youth head, said: “We are now in a good state of preparedness, but I hope we can arrange our programme well so as not to rush things and run out of steam towards the end.”

The by-election follows the death of BN assemblyman Datuk Sulaiman Taha at the Ampang Puteri Specialist Hospital in Kuala Lumpur on Dec 17.