PBS unapologetic over Guan Eng 'no help without win' billboard

SANDAKAN POLLS | PBS president Maximus Johnity Ongkili is unfazed over a police report allegedly lodged by DAP against a billboard that features its secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.

The PBS billboard shows Lim, the finance minister, purportedly stating he is unable to resolve a local hospital parking issue unless DAP "wins" in the coming Sandakan by-election. 

Erected along Batu 3 Jalan Utara Sandakan, it reproduces a screenshot from Astro AECEvening News, Mandarin Edition with the headline: "Insufficient parking lot in Sandakan hospital; Lim: If we win, then find me, if we lose, then there's nothing I can do."

"(Lim) In big trouble, slammed again?" is written underneath in Hakka.

This is believed to be related to concerns raised over the lack of parking spaces at the Duchess of Kent Hospital in Sandakan.

A notice at the bottom of the billboard reads that it was printed by the PBS headquarters in Kota Kinabalu, and that a permit was obtained from the Election Commission.

'We did nothing wrong'

Speaking to reporters in Sandakan, Ongkili (centre, in photo) claimed that DAP lodged a police report over the matter yesterday.

However, he maintained that PBS did nothing wrong as the billboard merely reproduces what was reported by Astro AEC, and neither touches on racial sentiments nor security issues.

"But they (DAP) know the billboard is not in their favour… they made a police report. We have explained our position to the police and to the EC," he said.

"I mean what is the basis of the police report? I don't think they can file the report, because we didn't create (Lim’s statement), we only reproduced it.

"This is freedom of democracy and campaigning... We only commented that Lim was slammed again (over the statement). That's all."

Ongkili said that it is up to the voters in Sandakan to judge Lim for his statement and to see DAP’s “mode of campaigning” in the coming polls.

"We purposely displayed (the headline) wide, because it is a threatening statement. 

"The election observers should take note of that, because Lim is threatening voters (with his statement)."

PBS is fielding its vice-president Linda Tsen for the May 11 by-election against DAP's Vivian Wong, as well as independents Chia Siew Yung, Hamzah Abdullah and Sulaiman Abdul Samad. - Mkini