Barisan Nasional has no plans to pursue the RM100 million election campaign merchandise scandal despite the ruling coalition being implicated by it.

Barisan Nasional secretary-general Radzi Sheikh Ahmad today said the ruling coalition did not intend to take action against those individuals who had embroiled it in the embarrassing scandal.

"No action (will be taken), it is up to those who were cheated (to do that). BN was not involved at all," said Radzi, who is also the minister in the Prime Minister's Department, told reporters in the Parliament's lobby today.

He said an investigation could only be initiated if the suppliers - who claimed that they had failed to receive payment for providing BN millions of ringgit in poll paraphernalia in the March 21 general election - "lodge a police report or take other form of actions".

No order, no record

On July 7, malaysiakini in an exclusive report disclosed that a group of suppliers which had provided posters, badges, banners, caps and mineral water for the ruling coalition's election campaign had claimed BN owes them an estimated RM100 million.

The suppliers - some of them are major printing and mineral water firms - struck a deal with Kuala Lumpur-based Elegant Advisory Sdn Bhd, a company which had claimed to have secured a lucrative 'government contract' to supply the ruling coalition with campaign paraphernalia.

However, the BN secretary-general today denied that the ruling coalition had entered into a deal with the said contractor.

"As far as I am concerned, we didn't make the orders at all and we don't have such records," he said.

Radzi nevertheless confirmed that a few suppliers have approached him last month to discuss their plight.

"Yes, I have checked the case and met with the suppliers, but I told them that BN had never made any orders from them."

He added that "there were certain people who took advantage of the general election and abused the name of the BN".

Radzi also argued that BN leaders who had received the 'free' election campaign materials in the March 21 polls cannot be blamed for taking the items.

"It is just like someone comes and gives you a television, saying that it is from your friend, you just take it. How can you penalise the receiver?" he replied.

At least one politician, Johor Baru MP and Umno supreme council member Shahrir Samad, confirmed that he received BN posters "for free" from Elegant Advisory during the election campaign.

Shadowy deal-maker

According to the Registrar of Companies, the key owner of Elegant Advisory is Hasan Ayuob.

Hasan had claimed that he was backed by an 'influential' Umno politician who had been tasked to raise funds from BN-linked tycoons and companies for the polls.

Little is known about Hasan, who often introduced himself as a 'datuk' and is fond of talking about his close links with top figures in government.

However, Radzi said he did not know this shadowy deal-maker.

It was also reported earlier that the contractors had even pleaded their case with Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

However, it was learnt that Abdullah too denied BN's involvement in the scam and advised the despondent contractors to settle the matter with those who made the purchase orders.

Other top politicians approached by the contractors for assistance include MCA chief Ong Ka Ting and Penang Chief Minister Dr Koh Tsu Khoon.

One of the BN component parties, the People's Progressive Party chairperson, M Kayveas, had earlier denied the coalition's involvement in the multi-million ringgit scandal.