KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 13 — The Election Commision (EC) and Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) must investigate the alleged vote-buying by Pakatan Harapan (PH) in the Cameron Highlands by-election, Umno Youth Chief Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said today.
He said the ruling party must be held accountable for handing out money to the Orang Asli voters just as how Barisan Nasional’s former Cameron Highlands MP Datuk C. Sivarraajh’s victory was nullified as the Election Court had found elements of corruption during the campaign period.
“Umno Youth calls for the EC and MACC to conduct immediate investigations and take swift and stern action, as it is evident that vote buying is against Section 10(a) of the Election Offences Act 1954, no matter under what circumstance,” he said in a statement.
Asyraf also asked whether PH and DAP will turn all the Orang Asli voters in Cameron Highlands as volunteers in order to allow political bribery throughout the campaigning period.
He said this was due to the explanation given by the assistant head of the Jelai PH operation centre Arvind Bharet, who said the photos of a woman giving out cash to people was the “reimbursement” of PH volunteers for petrol costs.
“Stop lying to the people. The statement made that claims that the handouts seen in the photo was a reimbursement towards the party’s volunteers is an outdated political tactic that cannot be accepted,” Asyraf said.
Pictures of a woman in a PH shirt giving cash to other people wearing the same shirt have recently emerged on social media, sparking claims from BN leaders that the ruling coalition was engaged in bribery in the election.
DAP’s Lim Kit Siang has since admitted that the woman is a volunteer from DAP’s Impian Malaysia programme doing voluntary social work nationwide, and 60 Orang Asli motorcyclists were paid RM20 per head.
