PETALING JAYA, May 13 ― Electoral watchdog Bersih 2.0 is considering legal options to compel the Election Commission (EC) to act on multiple cases of alleged offences during last week’s Sarawak polls.

Bersih 2.0 chair Maria Chin said its Pemantau observers reported seven types of offences that took place repeatedly throughout the 12-day campaigning period, and a full report will be given to the EC within a month.

“We will do what we can. We will be bringing it to the attention of the parliamentarians, and the public and to shame the EC, that’s what we can do,” Chin told reporters here at the Bersih 2.0 office.

“We can only be a pressure group. We are looking into legal options, but bear in my mind we have lost most of our cases.”

The seven categories of offences that Pemantau reported are bribery, unauthorised expenses during campaigning, intimidation, providing free food and drinks at campaign events, campaigning on polling day, ferrying of voters to polling station, and use of government vehicles.

Chin said that the Pemantau team had actively reported offences to the EC throughout the campaigning period, but was only met with inaction.

She also noted that the offences were committed by those on both sides of the political divide.

On top of election offences, the preliminary report by Bersih also noted alleged procedural failures by the EC, which includes indelible ink being applied to the wrong hand at polling centre SK Garland in Batu Kitang and the alleged refusal by the Returning Officer of Long Likang in Telang Usan to give copies of the Form 14 to the counting agents, despite it being a requirement according to the Elections (Conduct of Elections) Regulations.

Form 14 is the official record of a polling centre’s vote tally.

Chin said the final report is still being compiled as new evidence and observations are still being reported to the group.

Bersih had mobilised 90 Pemantau volunteers in hot seats Telang Usan, Senadin, Bawang Assan, Tasik Biru and Batu Kitang, besides setting up a Pemantau Hotline for people to make their own reports to the group.

Polling for the 11th Sarawak state elections took place on May 7 in which BN secured a landslide win, securing 72 out of 82 seats in the state. The DAP won seven out of 31 seats contested, PKR won three out of 40, while PAS and Amanah did not manage to secure any seats.