Electoral watchdog Bersih has called upon the candidates in the upcoming Seri Setia and Balakong by-elections to refrain from repeating the election offences committed in the recent Sungai Kandis polls.

"We would like to call on the candidates that contest in Seri Setia and Balakong to refrain from the same campaign tactics that they used in Sungai Kandis.

"We don't want to see the same abuse of government assets and programmes, the treating to influence votes and also to give out goodies in exchange for support.

"These are election offences but old habits die hard.

"But it is something that political parties and candidates need to look into and we hope the same election offences will not happen in the Seri Setia and Balakong by-elections," said Bersih executive director Yap Swee Seng in a press conference today.

The NGO had also released today its observation report for the Sungai Kandis by-election which took place on Aug 4.

Bersih programme officer Lee Chung Lun said the NGO noted 14 election offences during the campaigning period, which fell into three categories: Treating and gifts; the use of government assets and programmes; as well as racial and religious politics.

There were four recorded treating and gifting offences, he said, with two committed by Pakatan Harapan and another two by BN.

The PKR Sungai Kandis candidate Mohd Zawawi Ahmad Mughni had held a campaigning event providing a free car inspection service and motor oil change. He had also attended a program providing free health checks.

Meanwhile, Pahang Umno had organised a "majlis kenduri rakyat" for BN's candidate Lokman Noor Adam. Free food had also been provided at a BN ceramah.

Abuse of gov't assets, programmes

However, all five offences for the abuse of government assets and programmes were committed by Pakatan Harapan, Lee said.

Zawawi had attended a number of ministerial events at Sungai Kandis to campaign during the campaigning period, he said, including at a school which was a polling centre.

A number of government leaders had also attended the launch of the Sungai Kandis operations centre with their official cars, Lee said. 

This included the Selangor Menteri Besar; Selangor state assembly deputy speaker; the Water, Land, and Natural Resources Minister; and a Selangor exco. 

Lastly, offences under the category of racial and religious politics had been committed by PAS and BN.

PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan had called upon PAS members in Sungai Kandis to vote to defend the dignity of Islam and the Malays, while speakers at several BN ceramah had also used racial and religious rhetoric in their speeches.

Most notably, Lee pointed out Umno supreme council member Tajuddin Abdul Rahman had claimed in a speech at Sungai Kandis that Christians had taken over Putrajaya and would use their positions in government to spread Christianity.

Bersih called upon the Election Commission (EC) to take legal action against those who had committed these election offences.

Sungai Kandis marked the first time in Bersih's history that the NGO received an official invitation from EC to observe an election.