BN flags fiasco jolts TTDI amid election fever

GE14 | The affluent neighbourhood of Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI) is perhaps more known for its upmarket gastronomical offerings than being the centre of political attention.

In the past 10 days, however, police have launched investigations into two separate incidents of residents removing BN flags put up in the neighbourhood. Three people have also been arrested.

Following this, Federal Territories BN Youth chief Razlan Rafii has warned Pakatan Harapan supporters to stop taking down BN flags, citing fears for the safety of those who do.

However, for TTDI Residents Association (TTDIRA) committee member Margaret Lee (photo below), taking down the flags has nothing to do with partisanship, but instead, was a matter of local council rules.

She attributed the high level of knowledge of such rules to TTDIRA’s widely reported efforts in mobilising residents to protest the development of the Taman Rimba Kiara park and overdevelopment in the city.

“Residents now have a lot of knowledge about the law and they are aware of their rights. And they are not afraid to speak up or show their frustration.

“They know that political parties are not allowed to put up flags until after nomination day (April 28), but the authorities have not done their job in removing them,” she told Malaysiakini in an interview.

Nevertheless, she condemned the arrests, and Razlan’s threat.

Section 24B(4) of the Election Offences Act 1954 stipulates that campaign materials can only be exhibited during the campaigning period, which begins after nomination day and ends on polling day (May 9).

Even so, BN flags, as well as those of most other political parties, are already being put up in various parts of the country.

Removing ‘illegal’ buntings normal practice

Meanwhile, TTDIRA president Abdul Hafiz Abu Bakar said residents had a common practice of working together to remove “illegal buntings”, including unlawful flags, from around the neighbourhood.

“Political buntings that are put up before nomination day, are illegal, maybe that is what motivated them (the arrested residents to take them down).

“Previously we did have residents who would go around taking down illegal buntings, it’s a very common thing to do.

“We treat TTDI like our kampung (village), we want to keep the place tidy and nice, not smeared by illegal buntings and an untidy mess of flags,” he told Malaysiakini when contacted.

It is for this reason that the arrests and political threats have jolted the TTDI community, who believe that they are only doing what they have always done in caring for their neighbourhood.

Lee said residents will now stop removing BN flags but denied this meant they had been cowed.

“Of course everyone fears the inconvenience of being arrested, it is quite traumatising. Especially when you are arrested for doing good.

“We won’t remove any more flags but this is not because we are scared. This has only made us stronger,” she said.

Flags obstructed traffic

Several other TTDI residents Malaysiakini spoke to said they had found that the BN flags in question had obstructed traffic at certain intersections and roundabouts.

Lee, Businessperson Clinton Ang and octogenarian Khalid Abdul Rahman (photo) said they had personally felt hindered by the flags while driving.

“This time, there are more flags than usual, even at the corners of roads. I think it’s too much.

“Sometimes they obstruct my view (when I drive),” Khalid said when met along a row of shops in TTDI.

DBKL removes flags

KL police chief Mazlan Aliman previously said that the three women were arrested after they had presented the 133 flags they removed to a police station. He clarified that none of them were members of any political party and had acted out of “civic duty”.

He also said that rulings in regards to putting up of political party flags before the 14th general election campaign period fall under the jurisdiction of relevant local councils, which in TTDI’s case, is the KL City Hall (DBKL).

In the latest development, DBKL had apparently removed a portion of the BN flags following complaints from residents.

Incumbent Seputeh MP Lim Lip Eng told Malaysiakini that he was satisfied with DBKL’s actions and urged more to lodge complaints with the authority.

“I’m happy about this even though it was a knee-jerk reaction by DBKL. It’s better than nothing.

“I hope more residents will make complaints about this so that more flags can be removed,” he said when contacted.

Lim, however, advised residents against removing the flags themselves. - Mkini