GE14 | MACC and the Election Commission launched a joint operations centre today to handle information related to election violations, ahead of the coming polls.

“MACC has formed an operations centre that will operate 24 hours throughout the election period with the cooperation of the EC.

“Those who want to send information related to corruption and misuse of power, specifically during the election period, can channel this information to the MACC office, including MACC’s state offices,” said chief commissioner Dzulkifli Ahmad.

Dzulkifli was speaking at a press conference after launching the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya today.

Aside from the newly-launched operations centre, he said MACC has also created a new email address specifically for GE14-related information, at pru14@sprm.gov.my. Those with information can also call 03-88700675 or 03-88700668 or fax to 03-88700956.

MACC has the jurisdiction, Dzulkifli explained, to investigate certain wrongdoings during the election period under Sections 7 through 11 of the Election Offences Act 1954.

Any information the commission receives which does not fall under their jurisdiction will be channelled to the EC instead.

EC chairperson Mohd Hashim Abdullah said they would respond in kind, with relevant information channelled back to MACC.

“Previously, a lot of the information from the public was sent to the EC because they thought it fell under EC jurisdiction as it was election-related.

“But with this cooperation, there are powers that fall under the EC and then there are powers that fall under the MACC.

“So the mistaken complaints we receive that are related to MACC, we will send to them. If it is related to the police, we will send to the police,” Hashim said.

Among the possible election violations, Dzulkifli said, were personation, treating, undue influence and bribery, which covers Sections 7 through 10 of the Elections Offences Act.

List of candidates

The MACC commissioner also said that so far, they have only received a list of potential candidates from BN to vet for corruption or misuse of power.

The results of the vetting have already been sent back to the party, he said.

When asked whether MACC has rejected any of the potential candidates sent to them for vetting, Dzulkifli said that the decision is not up to the commission.

“That is not the duty and responsibility of MACC, we only do the vetting. We send (the results) back to the political parties who sent (their list of potential candidates) to us.

“We protect their secrecy too. We need to gain the confidence of the political parties who send to us,” he explained.

Dzulkifli also noted that MACC remains open to receiving more lists of potential candidates from other parties, adding that they would expedite the vetting process as much as possible.

He stressed again that the results of the vetting would only be given to the political parties who submitted the names.