PERIKATAN Nasional (PN) secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin said today that the party is working on its defence to prove that the accusations that it bribed voters in the 15th General Election (GE15) are untrue.
He claimed the party has strong evidence to deny the allegations that the coalition bribed voters, though there are videos in circulation showing a prominent PAS member in Terengganu giving cash handouts to voters, making them swear they will vote for the party.
For that matter, Hamzah said the party’s defence team was ready to prove that the allegations made by Terengganu UMNO in the election petition were untrue.
“Of course when he challenges us by making a petition, we will make sure that we have evidence to show that it is all wrong. The purpose of this petition is simply because of dissatisfaction or the like.
“But we also have a defense team to ensure we win,” Bernama reported him as saying after attending the PN’s Chinese New Year open house.
The Larut MP added that the accusation of bribery depends largely on the situation and the intention of the money given.
“Sometimes they (recipients of money) ask from the candidates because sometimes they want to repair the house. That’s why we have to be careful, and the intention is important why we give money to people who ask for it.”
The Terengganu UMNO Liaison Body earlier this month filed a petition to cancel the GE15 results for the Kuala Terengganu, Marang and Kemaman parliamentary constituencies which were all won by PAS, a PN component party.
According to Bernama, the petition involving the three constituencies was filed in the Kuala Terengganu High Court on Jan 3, last year in accordance with the Election Offenses Act 1954.
Moreover, Terengganu UMNO Liaison Board Chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Said said the petition was filed, among other things, on allegations that PAS had bribed voters by distributing aid money given by the state government on Nov 15 to 17, 2022, a few days before GE15 through the i-Pension, i-Belia and i-Student.
PAS came under intense fire since its president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang compared the act of giving cash to “voters” to an act of charity. He is also quoted as saying giving money to people during an election does not equal “vote buying”.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has stated that it will investigate allegations that the PAS bribed voters in GE15. — Jan 25, 2023
