GE14 | Election Commission (EC) chairperson Mohd Hashim Abdullah has earned a five-star rating in Bersih's Hall of Shame on election offences committed in the first week of campaigning for the 14th general election (GE14).

“Once again, Mohd Hashim has earned a special 5-Star Award of Shame for the second time in a row for failing to address and rectify serious abuses of power by its officers on nomination day, including the unfair disqualification of incumbent Batu MP Tian Chua (PKR) and the unfair prevention of Dr S Streram (also from PKR) from filing his nomination paper.

“The police barred the latter's entry on account of not possessing an entry pass issued by the EC, which resulted in the uncontested win for BN candidate Mohamad Hasan, who happens to be the caretaker menteri besar of Negeri Sembilan,” said Bersih in a statement today.

Bersih said it was regrettable that the EC and BN “continue to disrespect, disregard and diminish the principles of clean, free and fair elections by ignoring the Election Offences Act 1954 and proceeding with the arbitrary use of power and influence to skew the elections in favour of BN”.

It added the EC and the MACC has failed to take any action in response to the attempts by BN to “steal GE14”.

Bersih's Hall of Shame also included caretaker prime minister Najib Razak, for handing out a special incentive of RM500 to all 60,000 DRB-Hicom staff, totalling RM30 million in taxpayers’ money.

The other star offenders on their list are largely concerned with treating and abuse of government resources.

They are, in random order:

1) (5-Star Award of Shame) Hashim Abdullah, chairperson of the Election of Commission: For the failure to uphold the basic constitutional right of candidates to run in the election through arbitrary, unfair and unlawful disqualification of PKR candidate for Batu parliament constituency (Tian Chua) and prevention of PKR candidate for Rantau assemblyperson constituency (Dr S Streram) from filing his nomination papers.

2) Najib Razak of BN: On 26th April, the caretaker prime minister and Pekan candidate announced a special incentive of RM500 to all 60,000 DRB-Hicom staff, which would cost RM30 million of taxpayers’ money, despite the fact that DRB-Hicom is not a government department but a government-linked company.

3) Jamal Yunos of BN: For promising fishermen a reward of RM2,000 if they give their vote to BN and for giving out RM25,000 in a lucky draw to a voter in Sekinchan on April 30. Even though Jamal tried to justify the payment as wage and not bribery, this is simply an attempt to whitewash a clear offence under the Election Offences Act.

4) Kedah state Rela director Ahmad Abdul Wahab: For speaking to a crowd of Rela officers in support of BN at a BN campaign event on May 1, thereby showcasing biased behaviour of public officials.

5) Community Development Department (Kemas): For organising several campaign events for BN throughout the country despite being a government agency. This is a clear abuse and misuse of government machinery and assets.

6) PAS and BN Polling Agents in Tapah: For violating the secrecy of votes (thereby breaching Section 5(6)(b) of the Election Offences Act) by listing down postal ballot paper serial numbers next to the name of the postal voter on April 30, which carries the punishment of imprisonment for a term of not exceeding one year or to a fine not exceeding three thousand ringgit or both.

7) Malaysian Youth Council (MBM), an accredited electoral observer: For organising an event promoting BN politicians in Negeri Sembilan on May 1, which amounts to biased behaviour by electoral observers appointed by the Election Commission. MBM should be removed from the official election observer list of the EC.

8) Ramlee Marhaban of BN: For using cash to win votes in Semporna, which he openly and unashamedly disclosed in an interview with The Star newspaper on April 30.

9) Chan Quin Er of BN: For treating food to approximately 600 people from a local community, which is estimated to cost RM30,000. The event was held in SJK Choong Wen in Seputeh parliamentary constituency, which is another case of abuse of government assets for election campaign by political party. Furthermore, the school is also one of the polling stations and it is an election offence to display campaign materials within a distance of 50 metres from the limits of any polling station during the campaign period.

10) BN’s Nationwide Treating Campaigns: Candidates under BN have been frequently observed to have employed treating strategies to win votes, such as ‘Isi Minyak Percuma’ (free petrol), ‘Cermin Mata Percuma’ (free spectacles) and ‘Jualan Sentuhan Rakyat’ (discounted goods markets) on a big scale nationwide.