Show Sg Limau vote-buying proof, EC tells Bersih
The Election Commission (EC) has responded to Bersih's urging for a probe into alleged vote-buying during the Sungai Limau by-election by asking that it first submit evidence to the relevant authorities.
The Election Commission (EC) has responded to Bersih's urging for a probe into alleged vote-buying during the Sungai Limau by-election by asking that it first submit evidence to the relevant authorities.
"EC will check first with cooperation from the Malaysian Anti- Corruption Commission (MACC) and police.
"Please get the evidence and pass it to the EC, MACC or police," EC chairperson Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof (
left
) told
Malaysiakini
in a SMS today.
He was asked to respond to Bersih's move seeking an investigation in light of BN candidate Ahmad Sohaimi Lazim's admission at a seminar on Thursday that state machinery distributed goodies to woo voters in Sungai Limau.
Ahmad, who lost in the Nov 4 by election, said at the forum that despite the goodies, it did not guarantee votes from the constituents in Sungai Limau.
"For example, I saw one area where Federal Agricultural and Marketing Authority (Fama) went in to distribute fruits and chicks.
"Truckloads of chicks were given away, but if you count the people who came for the chickens and the votes we got, I am sure the numbers are different," he was reported saying.
While
admitting
that government machinery had been used during campaigning, Ahmad (
right
) told the audience that he believes PAS would have done the same if they were in power.
Admission merits probe
Outgoing Bersih chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan said the EC must respond to Ahmad's admission as its capability to run free and fair election was being challenged.
PAS' Mohd Azam Samad won the Sungai Limau state seat in Kedah with 12,069 votes to BN's 10,985 votes.
It is estimated that the ruling party dished out at least RM15 million in government allocations during the by-election, working out to a shocking RM8,800 per voter .
This included RM1 million to aid a Chinese school SJKC Aik Min in Sungai Limau that only has 15 students .
According to Section 8 of the Election Offences Act, directly or indirectly giving or providing "any food, drink, refreshment or provision, or any money ... for the purpose of corruptly influencing that person or any other person to give or refrain from giving his vote" at an election is an offence.
