KELANTAN caretaker menteri besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob has denied that the state government offering free bus services for university students who have financial difficulty to return home to vote in the forthcoming state elections of Aug 12 is vote-buying.
“We have conducted the survey and we understand the needs of the people. The Kelantan state government has not cancelled the free bus service because this is the promise we made earlier to the people,” he was reported as saying by Sin Chew.
“We are only offering free bus service, but people accuse us of vote-buying! Allocation promise by deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is blatant vote-buying!”
Ahmad was referring to Zahid’s announcement of an additional grant of RM100,000 for the Central Terengganu Development Authority (Ketengah) Youth Association for youth development activities in the state on Friday (July 28).
This is in addition to the grants of RM250,000 to the Terengganu Malaysia Youth Council and RM200,000 to motorcycle teams throughout the state.
Zahid reportedly urged the youths present at the event to vote for the “blue and red wave” at the upcoming state elections, adding that the amount allocated may be increased depending on the polling result on Aug 12.
On the matter of the free bus services, PAS deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said on July 7 that the other five states involved in the state polls should emulate Kelantan’s programme, adding that such a programme would help increase voter turn-out.
He said such a provision is not a form of bribery but rather, something that is being done to help voters of any political affiliation so that they can fulfil their responsibility.
However, certain quarters disagreed, noting that the proposal to provide free bus services on Aug 12 is a violation of the Election Offences Act 1954.
On July 9, NST reported Malaysian Corruption Watch deputy chief Noor Mohamad Shakil Hameed as saying that the proposal put forward by PAS was inappropriate and should not be implemented.
He advised political parties and their respective candidates to be more aware and sensitive to issues that could cause them to be subject to action, including annulment of the election results later.
He also said in addition to breaking the law, such actions can also trigger various speculations and can be seen as an element of encouragement to attract voters to support a particular party. – Aug 1, 2023
Main pic credit: Harian Metro
