Memancing undi nelayan menggunakan dana kerajaan tidak melanggar undang-undang, namun tetap salah (BM/ENG)

[ENGLISH VERSION BELOW] Gabungan Pilihan Raya Bersih dan Adil (Bersih 2.0) ingin melahirkan rasa kecewa kami dengan perlakuan kerajaan Pakatan Harapan yang menyalahgunakan sumber kerajaan semasa pilihan raya kecil Tanjung Piai.

Laporan pemberian oleh kerajaan terkini dibuat oleh Menteri Besar Johor Dr Sahruddin Jamal, yang mengumumkan pada 7 November seramai 1,513 nelayan di selatan Johor, termasuk 544 nelayan daripada Tanjung Piai, akan menerima bantuan khas nelayan daripada kerajaan negeri sebanyak RM1,000 setiap seorang bermula minggu ini.

Percubaan untuk memancing undi daripada nelayan tidak bertentangan dengan undang-undang sedia ada. Tetapi ianya jelas sekali tidak beretika untuk parti politik menggunakan duit pembayar cukai bagi memenangi pilihan raya.

Kami menggesa kepada menteri besar Johor untuk menunjukkan yang kerajaan PH mematuhi prinsip-prinsip pilihan raya bebas dan adil dengan menghentikan pemberian dan peruntukan kerajaan yang lain sehingga selepas pilihan raya kecil Tanjung Piai.

Kami sedia maklum bahawa tugas kerajaan perlu terus berjalan semasa pilihan raya kecil. Namun, untuk kawasan yang sedang dipertandingkan, sebarang pengumuman atau pemberian dan peruntukan perlu dihentikan sebaik sahaja kerusi tersebut diisytiharkan kosong atau diberikan selepas daripada berakhirnya pilihan raya kecil bagi memastikan padang permainan yang sama rata.

Selain daripada menteri besar Johor, Bersih 2.0 telah merekodkan beberapa laporan menteri kerajaan persekutuan mengumumkan peruntukan wang tunai semasa lawatan mereka ke Tanjung Piai, sebelum dan semasa tempoh berkempen.

Menteri seperti Syed Saddiq, Rina Harun dan Salahuddin Ayub telah menjustifikasikan peruntukan tersebut dengan menafikan untuk memancing undi; namun kemurahan hati mereka yang berkebetulan dengan pilihan raya kecil menjadikan alasan mereka sangat memalukan.

Bersih 2.0 sekali lagi menegaskan bahawa kami tidak mengatakan bahawa menteri-menteri ini telah melanggar undang-undang pilihan raya kerana undang-undang penggunaan sumber kerajaan untuk berkempen masih belum digubal.

Kami menggesa untuk semua penggubal undang-undang daripada semua parti untuk menyokong reformasi pilihan raya dan pindaan Akta Kesalahan Pilihan Raya 1954 untuk memastikan apabila tiba waktu pilihan raya, padang permainannya adalah sama rata.

Jawatankuasa pemandu Bersih 2.0

English version

Fishing for fishermen’s votes using state funds is not illegal, but wrong

The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih 2.0) wishes to express our utmost disappointment with the conduct of the Pakatan Harapan government’s abuse of state resources during the Tanjung Piai by-election.

The latest reported handout was that of Johor Menteri Besar Dr Sahruddin Jamal, who announced on 7 November that 1,513 fishermen in southern Johor, including 544 fishermen from Tanjung Piai, will receive special aid of RM1,000 each beginning this week from the state government.

This attempt to fish for votes from the fishermen is not illegal under current laws, but it is clearly unethical for a political party to use taxpayers’ money to win elections.

We urge the Johor menteri besar to demonstrate that the PH government adheres to the principles of free and fair elections by withholding the handouts and other government allocations until after the Tanjung Piai by-election.

We acknowledge that the function of government must carry on during by-elections. But for constituencies that are being contested, such announcements or distribution of new aid and allocations should cease as soon as a seat has been declared vacant or they may be made after the by-election to ensure a level playing field.

Apart from the Johor MB, Bersih 2.0 has been recording several instances of federal government ministers making monetary allocations on their visits to Tanjung Piai, both before and during the campaign period.

Ministers like Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, Rina Harun and Salahuddin Ayub have justified their allocations by denying they were fishing for votes. But the timing of their generosity makes their justifications sound like lame excuses.

Bersih 2.0 once again reiterates that we are not saying these ministers have violated any election laws because such laws governing the use of government resources do not exist yet.

We call upon lawmakers from all parties to support electoral reforms and amendments to the Election Offences Act 1954 to ensure that when it comes to elections, the playing field is level.

Bersih 2.0 steering committee

The views expressed in Aliran's media statements and the NGO statements we have endorsed reflect Aliran's official stand. Views and opinions expressed in other pieces published here do not necessarily reflect Aliran's official position.

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