Bersih lodges police report against Zahid over alleged election offences

Electoral watchdog claims DPM had tried to unduly influence Pulai voters in speech last Sunday

6:08 PM MYT

 

KUALA LUMPUR – Electoral watchdog Bersih has lodged a police report against Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi for allegedly committing election offences while campaigning for Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) Pulai candidate. 

In a statement by its steering committee today, Bersih claimed that the deputy prime minister had committed the offences when he delivered a campaign speech last Sunday during his visit to the Melana Indah Phase 1 Housing Programme (PPR). 

“In the event, he made a speech to unduly influence Pulai voters by saying that the PPR upgrading project will be reviewed and approved on the condition that PH’s candidate wins the by-election on September 9.

“If not, the application from [Johor local government executive councillor] Datuk Mohd Jafni Md Shukor will be ‘looked at’ again.

“Bersih believes this speech should be investigated because it is our view that it violates Section 9 for undue influence and Section 10 for bribery under the Election Offences Act 1954,” the group said. 

Noting that the police report was filed at the Johor Baru Selatan police headquarters today, Bersih also claimed that the speech contradicts the 3C – or no conditions, no campaigns, no candidates – principle it outlined for the conduct of non-caretaker governments during election periods. 

“Any government announcements or considerations made by non-caretaker governments cannot be made with conditions, with candidates present or use government functions to campaign, as was done by Zahid.” 

The group also pointed out that this was not the first time the Barisan Nasional chief had allegedly committed an election offence. 

As such, the group urged Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to “control the conduct” of federal ministers by issuing caretaker and non-caretaker government guidelines during election periods. 

This, the group said, is to avoid government resources and machinery being misused by ministers to campaign. 

During last month’s Terengganu election, Zahid came under fire from several quarters for ostensibly misusing his ministry’s allocation to attract youth voters at an event in the state held a day before nominations. 

Through his post as rural and regional development minister, Zahid announced that two federal allocations totalling RM350,000 for youth development activities in the state may be increased based on the youth’s performance during the state polls. 

Anwar had subsequently said that the financial incentives announced by Zahid have nothing to do with the state polls as the holding of the elections does not mean that government ministers can abandon their responsibilities. 

This Saturday’s Pulai by-election will see a three-cornered fight between PH’s Suhaizan Kayat, Perikatan Nasional’s Zulkifli Jaafar and independent candidate Samsudin Mohamad Fauzi. – September 7, 2023

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