TELUK INTAN, May 29 — The police said today they have referred Bersih 2.0’s complaint against Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s claim to know the voting patterns of Rela members to the Election Commission (EC).

“We refer the matter to SPR for investigation,” Hilir Perak police chief ACP Goh Kok Liang told reporters at the Hilir Perak police headquarters here today.

Bersih 2.0 had yesterday accused the EC of having abetted Home Minister Ahmad Zahid, who had allegedly violated the electoral code with his remarks concerning the secrecy of a ballot in the heated Teluk Intan campaign.

According to the group, the EC had aided the Barisan Nasional (BN) lawmaker in intimidating voters to cast their support for the coalition in the upcoming by-election.

It said the Bagan Datoh MP had committed an offence under Section 5 of the Election Offences Act 1954, which governs the secrecy of votes, among others.

The group subsequently lodged a police report against Zahid yesterday.

Goh however announced later that the cops have cleared Zahid of any wrongdoing.

A police spokesman clarified to The Malay Mail Online yesterday that Goh was referring to the police’s decision on a report lodged by PAS Youth, which also complained of Zahid committing an election offence, and not Bersih 2.0’s report.

Zahid, who is also an Umno vice-president, had last week claimed to know the identities of Rela officers in Teluk Intan who had failed to cast their ballots in last year’s general election.

In a speech at a Rela function in Kampung Selabak here last Saturday, Zahid also told Rela members to back BN in the Teluk Intan by-election.

Zahid later clarified to the press last Sunday that he only knew which Rela members did not turn up to vote in Election 2013, and not who they cast their ballots for.

Zahid said the paramilitary civilian volunteer force has a list of voters registered with the EC, which would enable Rela to know who did not turn up on polling day.