DR Mahathir Mohamad’s face was cut out of a giant campaign billboard put up in Ayer Hitam today, in the presence of the seat’s Pakatan Harapan candidate, Liew Chin Tong.

An 11-minute video posted on Liew’s Facebook page shows him negotiating with unidentified enforcement officials in front of the billboard at Jalan Utama 1 in Yong Peng.

“I cannot accept this. I cannot accept this. (The Election Commission) decision has no basis,” Liew is seen telling an officer.

He is seen in the video accompanied by a group of people wearing PH T-shirts.

The officer acknowledges Liew’s protest, but proceeds to direct other officers to mount the billboard’s scaffolding from behind to cut out Dr Mahathir’s face, which is flanked by the faces of Liew and Yong Peng candidate Chew Peck Choo.

The move follows new rules imposed by the EC for campaign materials for the 14th general election to feature only images of a seat’s candidate, and the candidate’s party’s president and deputy president.

Critics have said such rules are aimed at curbing PH chairman Dr Mahathir’s influence.

Yesterday, another of Liew’s billboards, featuring his rival candidate, Ayer Hitam incumbent Wee Ka Siong, caretaker prime minister Najib Razak and Najib’s wife, Rosmah Mansor, was defaced.

Rosmah’s face was cut out of that billboard, which states that a vote for Wee is a vote for Najib and his wife. – April 30, 2018.