DAP placed billboard out of anger with Jamal

The Opposition party has removed the billboard but refuses to apologise to the BN and Sungai Besar Umno chief Jamal Yunos.

(FMT) – The DAP has admitted to placing the provocative billboard in the Sekinchan town centre.

Amanah communications director Khalid Samad, however, said that DAP would not apologise to the BN or Jamal Yunos, the man shown on the billboard.

“I said in a statement yesterday that I didn’t know (who put it up), and I really did not know,” Khalid told reporters at the DAP Sekinchan office today.

“When the DAP admitted to putting it up, I met DAP publicity secretary Tony Pua to discuss the matter.

“We agreed that we will not put it up again because it is provocative. We want to campaign positively.”

Khalid said the DAP had placed the billboard to help the Tionghua community “let off steam” at Sungai Besar Umno chief Jamal Yunos, who had allegedly made racist statements against the Chinese.

“Tony explained how the Chinese have held back their anger at Jamal who still has not retracted his unreasonable and insulting statements about the Chinese community, and against whom no action has been taken,” Khalid said.

“They are also disappointed that PAS, who they had voted into power, is now making good with Umno.”

Malaysiakini reported that Pua, who is also the Selangor DAP chairman, had admitted that his party was responsible for the billboard.

“We did it. (We placed it) this evening (yesterday),” he said a few hours after the billboard was removed.

The Petaling Jaya Utara lawmaker defended the action, however, saying that the billboard that alleged Jamal had made certain racist statements about the Chinese was merely pointing out the facts.

“We were only pointing out what he (Jamal) as the Sungai Besar Umno chief had said about the Chinese,” he said.

“We wanted to raise the issue. But the EC has decided that it is against electoral rules, so the billboard has been removed.”