BERSIH 2.0 has recorded 23 election offences throughout the Cameron Highlands by-election, with the most worrying ones involving use of race and religion to campaign for votes, said its steering committee chairman, Thomas Fann.

Incitement of racial and religious sentiments was committed a total of four times throughout the two-week campaign – once by Barisan Nasional, twice by PAS and once by an unknown person using flyers.

The flyers linked Pakatan Harapan candidate M. Manogaran to the death of fireman Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim.

Fann called on police to take action based on existing laws dealing with racist and hate speech.

“Those who use religion to create ill feelings should realise that it is also covered by the Penal Code.

“The police should show they are impartial and take on the issue of race-baiting. While the Election Commission can make a report, the police can investigate without police report,” he said at a press conference in Petaling Jaya today. 

By party, BN committed the most offences at 14, Pakatan Harapan (5), PAS (2) and two more by unknown persons.

Independent candidates Sallehuddin Ab Talib and Wong Seng Yee did not commit any offence. 

Other offences involving racial and religious incitement included Umno Youth chief Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki’s remark that Malays and Islam would be harmed if the DAP candidate won, PAS Youth chief Muhammad Khalil Abdul Hadi’s claim that DAP will remove Islam as the official religion and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang’s video where he said “If non-Muslims want to be safe, do not vote for DAP”.

“Among the election offences in the Cameron Highlands by-election, Bersih views the incitement of ill-feeling on race and religion, or identity politics, to campaign for votes as the most worrying kind of offences.”

The 23 offences were categorised as “treating”, abuse of state resources, bribery and undue influence, use of race and religion and campaigning on polling day.

There were four cases of treating, all of which were by BN providing free food to voters.

Under abuse of state resources, BN committed one act and PH two.

The two cases of bribery and undue influence were both by PH, while campaigning on election day was committed nine times – twice by PH and seven by BN.

PH is alleged to have used its undue influence on January 11, when Senator Bob Manolan of PKR called on Cameron Highlands Orang Asli village chiefs to support the coalition or lose their posts and salaries.

PH is also alleged to have bribed voters when pictures of party workers giving money to people surfaced online. The coalition denied it was vote-buying, saying that activists were reimbursing Orang Asli volunteers for petrol.

Fann said the abuse of state and federal government resources by both parties was extremely concerning.

“PH was involved in the use of a four-wheel drive (vehicle) belonging to the Pahang Forestry Department for campaigning. 

“While Pahang Menteri Besar Wan Rosdy handed out primary school aid to 647 students in the Jelai Constituency and 22 forest reserve land use permits during the campaigning period. ” Fann said. 

Other watchdogs, ENGAGE and TINDAK, whose observers monitored the campaigning, had statements read out by Bersih executive director Yap Swee Seng.

Yap said ENGAGE observed that offences on polling day, including activists gathering outside polling centres canvassing for their parties.

“This caused inconvenience and discomfort to voters, who came to the polling centre to cast their votes, and is an Electoral Offence Act Section 26. We encourage voters disturbed by the supporters to come forward to make police reports.” Yap said.  

TINDAK, with the help of Bersih, observed that there were anomalies on the electoral roll, which saw unusual surges in voters after the 13th general election. 

“They suspected that there were voters registered to an address in Ringlet, This address had no voters in GE13 but jumped to 14 unrelated voters in 2017, and during the CH by-elections it is left with 12 voters.

“The problem is that without standardization of the address, Unit 16 Flat JPN, registered some as D-16, C-16 and others at number 16, it experience an unusual surge of voters after GE13.  During GE-13, unit 16 had only 5 to 6 legitimate voters which were related to each other, but after 2016 the number jumped to 17 voters which remained for this by-election. 

“Felda Sungai Koyan 2 and 3 also received targeted votes transfer from Raub, Lipis, Kuantan and Indera Mahkota between GE-13 and 2017. These unusual vote transfers are permanently legitimised and nothing has changed for the by-election.” Yap said. – January 31, 2019.