Malaysian YouTuber, writer, and activist Boo Su-Lyn has done the seemingly impossible: She followed painstaking procedure, and managed to have Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) take down the political flags that had been raised in her beloved neighborhood of TTDI.
While campaigning in itself is not illegal, parties are only able to begin canvasing two weeks prior to the actual general election. While this will only come into effect on April 28, when nominations are announced.
Haphazard flag raising could be seen in areas of the city even before the election date was called. This is in spite the fact that it’s illegal to put up material items before the campaigning period under the Election Offences Act of 1954.
While most of us are too lazy to bother getting the dusty flags removed, Su-Lyn is a clearly a force to be reckoned with: She outlined exactly how all of us could get our own neighborhood cleaned up. Let’s just say it’s not for the faint of heart.
https://www.facebook.com/boosulyn/posts/1661692520588653
First, you call DBKL and lodge a complaint. Be specific of what you want taken down, and where. Then, call your district office. She’s provided a link so that you can find the number for your local. Then, send an email to the Mayor, and his special officer. She’s also listed a slew of other officials to also email, all addresses are available in the link she provided. While she says you don’t need photographic evidence, you will need to be specific about exactly what you want taken down.
Then, head down to your district office in person, and file a hardcopy version of your complaint. When you’re done with that, it’s time to head to the police station, and file a police report on the illegal canvasing. Don’t forget to be specific as to where! Take that police report, make a softcopy of it, and email that back to everyone you emailed earlier. They know you mean business!
She says she first wrote to city hall on April 9, and has subsequently been reminding them relentlessly that she wanted her area cleared. And last night, a full ten days later, the flags were taken down.
Damn girl, persistence, thy name is Boo Su-Lyn.
Those who take the law into their own hands face arrest, and police reports being filed against them: This is a task that can only be left to the relevant authorities to handle, so don’t go removing anything, guys.
Su-Lyn is a known voice in the arena of free speech and progressive thinking: She is a contributor to local paper The Malay Mail, co-founder of BEBAS, a movement aimed to promote equality, secularism and an end to racial and religious discrimination.
Her newspaper columns have proved controversial at times, with her coverage on the right of citizens to be able to read what they want being investigated by police, and she writes in her own biography that she has received death threats.
She believes that her quest for greater freedoms will make Malaysia a better country for all.
While we won’t be weighing into what makes a country great, we can say this: Girl knows how to get those flags taken down. Enjoy your week of flag-free views: The Sisyphean cloths will legally be back by the end of the month.
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