BARISAN Nasional (BN), Perikatan Nasional (PN), and Pakatan Harapan (PH) may have flouted election laws in their campaign to canvas for votes this general election (GE), said the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih). 

The election watchdog said several caretaker ministers were also found to have used government assets while campaigning.

In calling for all political parties and their candidate to abide by the election ethics, Bersih said the three political blocs’ actions in giving free fuel and free motor oil changes in several state and parliamentary constituencies could be an offence under Section 10 of the Election Offences Act 1954.

It cited Alor Gajah PH Youth’s free fuel and oil change programme at Taman Vista Belimbing on November 4 and Azalina Othman Said’s programme on October 21 as prime examples of possible misconduct. 

Penang DAP’s programme to subsidise transport costs to enable voters to return home and vote has also been flagged as a violation under Section 10 and Section 20 of the act.

Bersih said DAP has since shut down the programme after finding it had come under investigation.

“They have blocked the link to the application. If Penang DAP or any other political party holds a similar programme, they may commit an offence,” the election watchdog added.

PH’s Klang candidate Ganabatirau Veraman, already called out by #KamiNampak youth group for “advocating hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility towards a racial or religious group” over his comments of “foreigners flooding” Pasar Meru in Klang, is now being called out by Bersih over his plan to hold a Deepavali celebration on November 12.

Bersih said the poster promoting the programme stated there will be a lucky draw. 

“If he also prepares food at the celebration, he may commit an offence under Section 8 of the Election Offences Act,” it added. 

Bersih also pointed out the PN’s plan to host the Mini Karnival Anak Muo at Parit Tarom, Muar, Johor, would also be violating the law.

It said based on the poster published on Muar PN’s Facebook page, the lucky draws, free haircuts, free motor oil changes and cash prizes for several competitions would violate election laws.

“These programmes may constitute an offence under Section 10 of the Election Offences Act,” Bersih said. 

It said though the laws are unclear on the use of government assets to campaign, the good practices of clean and fair elections as outlined by Articles 3 and 4 of the Inter-Parliamentary Union and Article 11 of the Bangkok Declaration on the separation of government and political parties and the use of resources and machinery of the government during the campaigning process should be complied with. 

Bersih pointed to BN candidate for Sungai Buloh Khairy Jamaludin’s function in Taman Saujana Utama today with caretaker communications and multimedia minister Annuar Musa as an example of using government machinery to campaign.

It also criticised Ismail Sabri Yaakob over his announcement on cancelling Felcra debt, even though his role is only one of a caretaker prime minister. – November 8, 2022.