GEORGE TOWN: It may be a storm in a tea cup. Still, DAP has had to respond to criticism on billboards it erected in conjunction with Chinese New Year, by putting up new versions of them.
Several weeks back, billboards put up by DAP along the roads in the Bukit Bendera parliamentary constituency courted controversy as Chinese characters and “Gong Xi Fa Cai” were left out.
There were only words in Bahasa Melayu – “Bersama Perkukuhkan Perpaduan Malaysia” (Together We Strengthen Malaysian Unity).
Images of Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, Bukit Bendera MP Sherleena Abdul Rashid and Kebun Bunga assemblyman Lee Boon Heng were featured in the billboards.
Some had a photo of former chief minister Lim Guan Eng, who is Air Putih assemblyman. Kebun Bunga and Air Putih is under Bukit Bendera constituency .
However, the billboards outraged Penang Front Party president Datuk Patrick Ooi, who posted a video in Hokkien a few weeks ago and another one later in Malay, criticising DAP and the Penang government.
DAP subsequently put up new versions of the billboards that incorporates Chinese characters as well as Chinese New Year greetings in Bahasa Melayu and Chinese.
During Deepavali last year, billboards in the constituency also carried Bahasa Melayu words only – “Pelbagai Warna Satu Negara” (Different Colours One Nation) – with no Deepavali greetings either in English, Malay or Tamil.
Ooi said DAP won big in the last general election, with over 80% backing from Chinese and Indian voters.
“Now, when their leaders are promoting unity and the Madani government, they have left out Tamil and Chinese characters from billboards.
“This is unacceptable. Are they ignoring our plural society?”
