‘Up to RM19,000 per vote in Kuala Besut’
Polls watchdog Bersih slams the federal and Terengganu state governments for rampant vote-fishing with up to RM19, 000 per voter.
(FMT) – Electoral watchdog group Bersih 2.0 today criticised “federal and state agencies” for making “financial promises and allocations” totaling at least RM337, 490,750 as of last weekend.
The Federal and Terengganu state governments were today slammed for “rampant vote-fishing” by offering up to RM19,000 per voter in the Kuala Besut by-election.
Electoral watchdog group Bersih 2.0 today criticised “federal and state agencies” for making “financial promises and allocations” totaling at least RM337, 490,750 as of last weekend.
Bersih named the agencies involved as the Prime Minister’s Department, Education Ministry, Agriculture Ministry, Terengganu state government, and Syarikat Perumahan Negara Berhad (SPNB).
“Divided among the 17,679 registered voters, this means a vote in Kuala Besut is worth an unprecedented RM19,089.92 so far,” Bersih steering committee said in a press statement.
“With three days of campaigning remaining, this figure will surely soar to new heights in Malaysia’s election history,” they added.
They questioned the need for marginalised communities to depend on promises during elections and by-elections “to get the infrastructural development they are entitled to”.
“The corrupt practice of vote-fishing by abusing public funds not only violates the level playing field in election, but it also implies ad-hoc development planning driven by political expediency,” they said.
