ELECTION Commission chairman Mohd Hashim Abdullah got Bersih 2.0’s “5-star award of shame” in the electoral reform group’s latest list of those it is naming and shaming over unfair polls practices.

He was highlighted for ignoring “hundreds of complaints” about the electoral roll, and for issuing “arbitrary restrictions on free campaigning” just days before nomination, which put opposition parties at a disadvantage.

The list, called the “Hall of Shame – Election Offences GE14”, is based on verified news reports on the general election, involving politicians from both sides of the divide.

Others in the list up to April 26 include:

– Barisan Nasional’s candidate for Hulu Selangor, P. Kamalanathan, for “treating voters with food, groceries and petrol”;

– PKR’s Afif Bahardin, a caretaker Penang government official, for using state programmes to give handouts;

– Caretaker Sabah chief minister Musa Aman of Umno, for giving 155 motorcycles to entrepreneurs in Sandakan;

– Caretaker federal minister Noh Omar, who is also Selangor Umno chief, for using Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Ministry resources to hold campaign events in Gombak;

– Caretaker federal minister Hamzah Zainudin of Umno, who is contesting the Larut seat, for “repeated bribery and treating of voters” with cash and free petrol; and,

– Caretaker Kelantan menteri besar Ahmad Yakob of PAS, for using the state government’s machinery to hold the Islamist party’s events.

Bersih started the “Hall of Shame” list to monitor the conduct of election stakeholders. It will announce a new list every Friday, until polling day on May 9. The full list is posted on its official website.

“Bersih calls on all candidates to campaign based on their manifestos and policies that they will implement when they come into power, rather than resort to bribery, dishing out goodies, and threats, in getting the support of voters,” it said in a statement on its latest list.

The group also urges the public to report to it elections-related offences, as defined under the Election Offences Act. – April 29, 2018.