The 1Malaysia People's Aid (BR1M) cash handouts and BN promises to increase the handout amounts should it win the next general election, was not a form of vote buying, said an Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) official.

MACC investigation department deputy director Han Chee Rull said this during a question and answer session during a conference on the 13th general election in Kuala Lumpur today.

"In my opinion, BR1M is distributed to all regardless of whether they (recipients) are voters are not.

"This is also a form of development policy," said Han, who is representing MACC chief Abu Kassim Mohamed.

Han said that any party standing in the general election are free to make promises to the public.

"In any election, all (contesting parties) will make promises on their plans," he said.

Prior to this, Han explained that the term "money politics" is not properly defined in the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009.

However, the term "overt vote buying" exist in Section 15 of the Act, he said.

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