JOHOR BARU: With state elections being held back-to-back in Johor and Negri Sembilan, political parties have found an unexpected way to go green – giving campaign flags a second life instead of sending them to the landfill after polling day.
Barisan Nasional’s Yong Peng assemblyman Ling Tian Soon said his team removed banners and flags immediately after polling ended in Johor on July 11 and transported them to Negri Sembilan ahead of nomination day today.
“All of Johor MCA’s candidates have contributed their campaign flags for reuse in Negri Sembilan. The flags from Yong Peng will be used in the Jelebu area,” he said when contacted.
Ling, who is also Johor MCA deputy chairman, said the practice was not only environmentally friendly but also helped save time and resources.
“In previous elections, we would usually dispose of the campaign materials ourselves after taking them down.
“But with the Negri Sembilan election taking place so soon after Johor’s, it made sense for us to lend a helping hand,” he said.
Under Election Commission regulations, candidates must remove all campaign materials within 14 days after polling day or risk forfeiting their election deposits.
Pakatan Harapan’s Johor Jaya candidate Lee Wern Yiing said her team had also removed most of its campaign materials around the constituency.
“We’ll keep them in good condition and perhaps reuse them if the Melaka state election is called after Negri Sembilan, as widely speculated,” she said.
Meanwhile, Parti Bersama Malaysia’s Stulang candidate Stanley Tan said volunteers had carefully sorted and stored campaign materials for future use.
“Every flag and bamboo pole was purchased using donations from supporters, so we try not to waste them.
“After taking down the flags, we washed, dried and sorted them so they remain in good condition and are ready to be shipped to the next location when needed,” he said.
