PKR Bayan Baru MP Sim Tze Tzin has told the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to re-open the case on alleged vote-buying activities in Penang during the May 5 general election.

Sim said it was better to review the case, which PKR candidates claimed included a ‘lucky bonus’ for those who voted for BN.

NONE While he shares the happiness of the Penang MACC for improving its KPI with 28 arrests this year, Sim ( left ) offered some suggestions for improvement.

“They are quite happy on this performance and so am I. However, I would like to offer my suggestion and assistance to help them excel in  their KPI to become the best performing MACC branch in the entire country,” said Sim in a statement.

Sim said MACC should re-open the suspected vote buying case as Pakatan candidates had lodged seven reports on the matter on May 13, two weeks after the polls.

“During the campaign period, tens of thousands of Penang voters were treated to free food, free drinks and free entertainment programmes by the 1Malaysia Welfare NGO,” he said.

“The people were given lucky bonus vouchers to redeem cash if BN won,” he explained.

“True, as claimed, a week after the election several outlets started giving out cash for areas where BN candidates had won,” he alleged.

Sim said Penang voters had experienced these vote-buying activities first-hand during the election campaign.

The lucky bonus vouchers could be seen, felt and was received by everyone, he added.

“It was a massive, well-planned, and well-executed plot involving millions of ringgit and hundreds of operatives,” claimed Sim.

‘Hundreds of suspects involved’

Sim said if MACC wanted to seriously pursue this case, its officers can find “hundreds of suspects” involved in vote-buying activities.

“This will help them excel in their KPI,” he quipped.

Sim expressed regret that state MACC director Samarajoo Manikam had closed the case on Jul 9, saying the commission had failed to find “criminal elements” which violated the 2009 MACC Act.

He added that the anti-graft panel has disappointed the voters of Penang by not prosecuting the perpetrators of the ‘lucky bonus’ activities.

He said he has protested against the decision in Parliament and Razali Ibrahim, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, had replied saying that the MACC’s advisory panel could review this decision.

“Instead of being self-congratulatory in achieving their KPI, Penang MACC will be judged by the public on their action against vote-buying activities,” said Sim.

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