BN: Pakatan has mislead the UK govt

Barisan MPs are unhappy with the interference of a British parliamentarian into the local affairs here.

KUALA LUMPUR: Barisan Nasional leaders have dismissed the British government’s recent appeal for Malaysia to probe claims of electoral fraud in the recently concluded national polls.

Umno secretary-general Tengku Adnan said Pakatan Rakyat had likely duped David Cameron’s administration into believing the May 5 general election was rigged to favour BN.

“The UK government has been mislead, most probably, I think by the opposition, because they got nothing to do, not like us (BN), we are working to serve the rakyat,” Tengku Adnan, popularly known as Ku Nan, told FMT.

The Putrajaya MP was responding to the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office Hugo Swire’s call for full investigations on “allegations of irregularities made by the opposition parties and civil society groups.”

In a letter dated June 13, Swire had said: “I have taken a keen interest in the conduct of the elections even though Britain was not invited to formally observe the poll.”

But Tengku Adnan said today: “Where is the electoral fraud? Please tell us. You know very well that when you enter (the voting booth), the ballot box is shown to representatives from both parties, and when the vote is cast, everyone is there to witness it.

“That’s why we told the Election Commission, why not show (everyone) what happened in the morning when the boxes were sent to voting areas.”

Meanwhile, MCA Youth Chief Wee Ka Siong said he was “saddened” by the British government’s interference.

“I am saddened with the announcement by the [minister] visiting Malaysia and besides the regular duty of a [minister], he is not happy with the election,” said Wee.

“I hope outsiders don’t meddle in our domestic affairs, the administration and running of our government. It’s very unbecoming of foreigners to do that.”

Blatant lie

Swire had told the UK parliament that he would be visiting Malaysia and would look into the issue of electoral fraud “first hand”.

Swire is scheduled to visit Malaysia this week, ostensibly to work towards improving trade between the two countries.

But Wee urged Swire and the UK government not to listen to just one side, adding that the opposition had yet to establish there were irregularities in the electoral process.

“We challenge the Opposition to please show us the 40,000 Bangladeshis that were alleged to have been flown in (to vote for BN).

“Without evidence, how can they simply talk and simply make allegations? If you cannot prove that, it is a blatant lie,” said Wee.