IGP wants provocative #BebasAnwar billboards taken down

Khalid

KUALA LUMPUR: Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar (pic) has called on local authorities in Selangor to take down provocative #BebasAnwar (#Free Anwar) billboards.

Khalid via his Twitter account said the billboards could be deemed seditious and aimed at confusing the people.

He said the words on the billboards describing former Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as a “Tahanan Politik” (Political Prisoner) could be considered seditious and could confuse the people.

“At the same time, the local authorities concerned have been asked to bring down the provocative billboards,” he said.

Khalid added that action would be taken against NGO Selangor chairman Datuk Jamal Md Yunos for threatening to torch the billboards.

On Wednesday, Jamal had led a group to string a banner across the #BebasAnwar billboard in Ampang as sign of protest and had also threatened to burn it.

He said the billboard’s wording challenged the decision of the courts which had convicted Anwar of sodomy.

He added that there were more such billboards in Selangor, specifically in Subang and Rawang.

Ampang Jaya police chief ACP Hamzah Alias said police on Thursday had recorded statements from Jamal and several witnesses regarding the incident.

On Feb 10, 2015, Anwar failed in his appeal to the Federal Court over his sodomy conviction. He is currently serving a five-year jail sentence.

He was found guilty of sodomising his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, 23, at Unit 11-5-1, Kondominium Desa Damansara in Jalan Setiakasih, Bukit Damansara here between 3.10pm and 4.30pm on June 26, 2008.

Earlier Saturday, Jamal had also attempted to torch a billboard erected at Simpang Tiga, Jalan Loji, Sungai Besar but was prevented from doing so by police.

Speaking to reporters afterwards, he said that he would be lodging a police report on the provocative billboard.

He added that the billboard was also illegal because it did not have the approval number from the local authority on it. – Bernama