Police report lodged on 'dangerous' 1M'sia-BN flags

The Penang Municipal Council today lodged a report over thousands of 1Malaysian-BN flags which appeared around the city on Chinese New Year's day.

MPPP councillor Ong Ah Teong said there are more than 5,000 of such blue colored flags which he claimed were "a danger to motorists" as they were hung loosely, with some listing and falling on roads.

"I am lodging the report as they were illegally put up. The (people responsible) did not get any permit from the MPPP," said Ong in his report.

Ong with councillors Lim Siew Khim, Harvinder Singh, and Komtar assemblyperson Ng Wei Aik, lodged the report at the Northeast District police headquarters in Jalan Pattani at 12 pm today.

He said he felt compelled to lodge the report as he received complaints from the public as early as 6am on the first day of Chinese New Year.

He was also sent text messages and photos of the ‘dangerous' flags by the public.

"I have also received texts on why BN is putting up dark and blue flags which are not auspicious colors for the Chinese New Year."

The report was taken by Lance Corporal Mary Betty AK Jeffrey.

Flags to welcome PM

The flags were put in place to welcome Prime Minister Najib Razak who spent two days in Penang to celebrate the lunar festival.

Najib was in Penang with wife Rosmah and their two children, who attended the BN Chinese New Year open house at Han Chiang College which saw top Korean pop idol Psy or Park Jae-Sang performing his world hit "Oppa Gangnam style".

Ong said the flags which appeared very dangerous, were located along the roads and five foot ways at Jalan Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu, Dato Keramat, Komtar, Air Itam, Lebuh Light, Faquhar, Burmah, Kapitan Keling, Penang Road, Sultan Ahmad Shah and Jalan Gurney, Kelawai and Mount Erskine.

"When MPPP workers were bringing down the flags, they were disrupted by a gangsterish group," alleged Ong.

"We have lodged the report so that the police can protect the workers but we are uncertain if they are willing to do so."

Ong said the MPPP had approved a permit for 1,000 flags with the BN logo, however, there had been no application for those with the 1Malaysia logo.

He added that if the BN had submitted proper applications for the flags, the MPPP would have given the necessary approvals.

The locations where the BN had applied for flags with the party logo include Dato Keramat (300 pieces), Jalan Air Itam (200), Jalan Masjid Negeri (300), Jalan Thean Teik/Cheah Teng (100) and Jalan Yusoff/Terengganu (100).