GEORGE TOWN, May 15 — The Penang government will lodge a police report against Bukit Gelugor by-election independent candidate Mohamed Nabi Bux Mohd Sathar for using the state crest in his campaign posters promoting hudud.
State executive councillor Jagdeep Singh Deo said Mohamed Nabi did not get any state government approval to use the state crest.
“This is not sanctioned by the state government at all, we did not give any approval, we will be lodging a police report against those using the state crest for their campaign material,” the Datuk Keramat state assemblyman said in a press conference today.
He was replying to questions on why there were posters on hudud with the state crest on it.
Both Jagdeep and the DAP candidate, Ramkarpal Singh Deo, denied that these posters had anything to do with the state government or the party.
“It definitely has nothing to do with us as DAP’s stand has always been firm against hudud,” Ramkarpal said.
Jagdeep said the state hopes the Election Commission (EC) will take action by removing these posters or any other campaign materials using the state crest which the state did not endorse.
An EC official however said such action was not under the commission’s jurisdiction.
The official added that when it comes to election campaign materials, the condition on use of logos was that candidates can only use their own designated logos.
“As for the use of the state crest or the Malaysia coat of arms on campaign materials, the candidate will need to get the state and federal government approval first.
“Normally, the state crest and the Malaysia coat of arms are only used by government departments and agencies in their official documents so others can’t use it without permission,” he said.
Later in the afternoon, Mohamed Nabi unveiled his manifesto for the campaign which had both the state crest and Malaysia coat of arms clearly emblazoned on it.
His green campaign posters of his picture and his chosen campaign logo, hibiscus, also sported either the state crest or the Malaysia coat of arms on the top left corner of the posters.
When asked if he had obtained any permission to use either of these symbols, he said he had obtained permission.
“We have permission to use the state crest and Malaysia coat of arms,” he insisted while refusing to state who gave him the permission.
Mohamad Nabi is going up against Ramkarpal, another independent Abu Backer Sidek and Parti Cinta Malaysia’s Huang Cheng Guan in the May 25 Bukit Gelugor by-election.
The parliamentary seat was vacated after the late MP Karpal Singh was killed in a road crash on April 17.
