The Umno disciplinary board has been urged to expand the scope of its investigations to include complaints that some candidates for vice-presidency were involved in buying of votes throughout the election campaign.

"Buying of votes definitely took place throughout the campaign, including for the post of Umno vice-president," alleged a campaign manager of one of the vice-presidential candidates. He did not want to be identified.

As such, he said, the board must investigate all complaints, including those allegedly involving candidates who won the three top posts or supreme council seats.

During the party polls last Thursday, Federal Territory Minister Mohd Isa Samad and Malacca Chief Minister Mohd Ali Rustam garnered the highest votes for the vice-presidency. Isa secured 1,507 votes, while Mohd Ali had 1,329 votes.

Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, an incumbent vice-president, was third with 1,234 votes. Another incumbent, Muhammad Muhd Taib, was defeated when he came in fourth with 1,177 votes.

'Accept all complaints'

The three other candidates who vied for the vice-presidency were Minister in the Prime Minister's department, Mustapa Mohamed (1,059 votes), Pahang Menteri Besar Adnan Yaakob (690) and Johor Baru MP Shahrir Samad (651).

"If the disciplinary board only accepts complaints accompanied by the name of the complainant, and sets aside complaints which do not have the complainant's name, then those who have been involved in money politics will escape. For the sake of the party's future, they must be punished," the campaign manager said.

He said that, based on press reports, disciplinary board chairperson Tengku Ahmad Rithauddeen had said the board has not received any complaints on this matter.

"The strange things is, we found out that some parties had lodged complaints of vote buying... and that the board did not accept the complaints which were not accompanied by the complainants' names," he said when contacted.

He said the board was being "too particular about procedure and rules" which specify that only complaints with details of the complainants should be accepted - other complaints are treated as poison pen letters.

"As far as I know, the Anti-Corruption Agency also receives and investigates complaints, even if complainants' details are not included. So, the Umno board should do the same," he said.

Vote-buying procedure

The campaign manager also said the investigations must be carried out, not for the sake of the candidates who lost in the polls, but for the party's future.

"If some of those who won are punished for money politics, then surely candidates contesting future polls will not be brave enough to indulge in vote-buying - because even if they win, they will still lose their post (when found guilty)," he noted.

Delegates who attended the Umno general assembly talked constantly about money politics during the meeting.

"We dare say that 70 percent of those who were involved in the party polls were involved (in money politics)," the campaign manager alleged.

Asked how the buying of votes was done, he said: "There are many methods, including putting money into envelopes and handing them over to delegates ... sums of about RM1,000 to RM1,500."

He said that the gifts did not have to be in cash, but could also be in the form of 'promises of rewards' to delegates, to be honoured at the conclusion of the polls.