THERE is no rule that bars voters from having their smartphone with them when they are in the booth, casting their votes, in the Sarawak elections tomorrow, the Election Commission told The Malaysian Insight today, following accusations of vote buying on social media.

Reportedly, social media users alleged voters have been asked to take a photo of their ballot paper as photographic proof of their vote to claim “incentive money”.

In a WhatsApp message, it has been alleged that payment of between RM500 and RM2,000 will be made for the “right vote”.

However, the person did not state where the offer is made or if such vote buying is taking place in Sarawak but said the EC should enforce a rule that prohibits voters from taking their phones into the booth.

“No (rule to stop them),” the EC’s head of corporate communications Mohammad Azlan Charles Abdullah said.

He added the commission is nonetheless aware of allegations.

An officer in the EC’s legal unit, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said anyone who has any information on suspected bribery or vote buying to lodge a report on them.

The officer said vote buying is an offence under the Election Offences Act 1954, but the EC has no powers to investigate the offences, which should instead by reported to the police and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), he said.

Some 1.2 million Sarawak folk go to the polls tomorrow for the state elections with the incumbent ruling Gabungan Parti Sarawak widely tipped to return to power. – December 17, 2021.