THE Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) today said Deputy Education Minister Lim Hui Ying abused her position when she announced additional funding for three schools in a seat where a by-election is due to be held.

Bersih said the act amounted to undue influence by the government in an election.

Lim was reported to have announced an allocation of RM30,000 each to two schools and RM50,000 to a third in the state seat of Pelangai in Pahang.

The funds were on top of the money that has been set aside for  government-aided schools.

“We issued a statement during the six state elections in which we urged the Madani government led by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to comply with the 3C prohibition: ‘no conditions, no campaign and no candidate’ so that any announcement by ministries and federal agencies during the election period is not abused in an attempt to win elections,” Bersih said in a statement today.

It added that based on these guidelines, deputy education minister’s announcement “does indeed violate the ‘no campaign’ guidelines” because it is specific to only schools in the Pelangai constituency.

Bersih said although it is not illegal for Lim to make such an announcement, the action is “in contradiction with the principles of clean and fair elections because the opposition has no access to such resources or government machinery”. – September 27, 2023.