Perak PKR has alleged that Umno is using money politics to tempt its members to defect and to publicly condemn Pakatan as a ploy to boost Barisan's chances of winning the Hulu Selangor parliamentary by-election on April 25.

dr lee boon chye State party deputy chief Lee Boon Chye (right) addressed a media conference at his Ipoh office today at 1pm revealing that Umno is offering each PKR member between RM1,000 to RM1,500 for each appearance at the BN ceremahs being organised in Hulu Selangor to read out texts prepared by BN condemning Parti Keadilan.

Lee alleges that Umno's aim is to portray a party that is collapsing from massive defections to discourage the Hulu Selangor electorate from voting for PKR candidate Zaid Ibrahim.

He believes Umno is responsible for the rash of members' resignations faced by PKR all over the country, stooping low with money politics to ensure a BN victory and destroy his party's image in the eyes of all Malaysians.

PKR will launch a complaint with the Election Commission over Umno's unethical campaigning tactics tomorrow, and another complaint with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) next week over Umno's use of money politics.

Concrete proof

Lee said that he has concrete proof of his allegations, citing recorded mobile conversions and mobile phone numbers of the three former PKR members who had crossed over to Umno this week.

The three defectors in question are former Tanjung Malim division wanita chief Soraya Sulaiman, Bagan Serai member Roshanita Mohd Basir and her husband Sazali.

The three had taken turns in calling two other Perak PKR members to cross over and condemn the party during the Hulu Selangor campaigns.

Appearing with Lee as witnesses were PKR Gopeng division deputy chief Ahmad Tamizibin Mohd Ghazali and Teja assemblyperson Chang Lih Kang's aide K Rajesh Kumar.

Tamizibin told the press that he received over 30 mobile phone calls from Soraya, Roshanita and Sazali.

The three took turns to contact him over the past two days from Batang Kali in Hulu Selangor, urging him to resign and join Umno. Soraya, he claims, was especially persistent.

He was also promised RM1,000 cash for each appearance at a Hulu Selangor BN ceremah to condemn PKR.

Incriminating phone calls recorded

Furthermore, he was promised tens of thousands of Ringgit and a very good civil service position if he chose to cross over to Umno. Tamizibin at present works in the private sector.

The Gopeng division deputy chief backed his claims with recordings of three of such phone calls, which he played to the media present.

NONE Meanwhile Chang's ( left ) special assistant K Rajesh Kumar said he received one call from Roshanita yesterday promising him RM1,500 for every anti-party speech he gave at a ceremah.

She also tempted him with a huge sum of money to enable him and his family to relocate permanently to Australia and cover his financial needs there for the rest of his stay, he revealed.

In the midst of their conversation he joked if he was too small a fry for Umno to offer him money to cross over to their party.

Lee is demanding that MACC investigates this blatant case of corruption being practiced by Umno in their attempt to win at all costs.

Zaid is contesting MIC information chief P Kamalanathan for the Hulu Selangor seat that was vacated following the death of PKR Zainal Abidin Ahmad on 25 March, 2010.