Cameron Highlands voters admit getting cash from BN, but deny vote buying

Witnesses called by Cameron Highlands MP C Sivarraajh's legal team today admitted to receiving money from BN prior to the 14th general election, but denied that it was to sway their votes.

Instead, the three defence witnesses for the election petition said the money was to help them with daily expenses.

The trio were testifying as witnesses in the election petition filed by DAP candidate M Manogaran, who alleged that Sivarraajh, the MIC Youth chief, won the seat via corrupt means.

Retired civil servant Achom Lugi, 69, the second defence witness in the case, started off by amending his written statement and removing Sivarrajh's name from a paragraph concerning the receipt of RM25,000 to distribute among the Orang Asli.

The amended statement read: "Wan Rosdy (Wan Ismail) did contribute to me cash amounting to RM25,000 in front of a crowd at a hall in Pos Lejang.

"Wan Rosdy stated that the money was to be given to all tokbatin (village heads) as aid to all Orang Asli in Pos Lenjang to enable them to vote on May 9, 2018, taking into account expenses such as transportation and meals, as polling stations are far away from villages in Pos Lenjang."

Wan Rosdy (photo) is the Jelai assemblyperson and the current Pahang menteri besar.

When asked by defence lawyer Mohd Hafarizam Harun why he had struck out Sivarraajh's name from the original statement, Achom replied that he had a bad memory and that it was a mistake.

On cross-examination by Manogaran's lawyer K Shanmuga, Achom said that all the tokbatin had agreed to distribute RM40 each villager under their watch.

However, he said he could not say for certain if the tok batin did as they said they would.

'Not for votes'

In his testimony, Achom also denied that funds were meant to influence the votes of the Orang Asli, but was only for their expenses on election day.

He also said it was a possibility that the Orang Asli would not go out to vote if cash aid was not given to them.

He said this was because many of the villages were located hours away from polling centres, and not all had access to motorcycles or other vehicles.

On questioning by Hafarizam, Achom said it was "almost a tradition" for the Pahang state government to give aid to the local Orang Asli to entice them to go out and vote.

When asked to clarify this by Shanmuga, however, Achom said that aid was not necessarily given only on election day.

Meanwhile, local Umno leader Jali Gayang said in Pos Senderut, said he was aware that between RM200 to RM300 was  given to seven tok batin each during a meeting with Sivarraajh (photo) and Wan Rosdy on April 30.

However, he denied this was inducement to influence their votes.

He also said that about RM50 was given distributed by an ustaz in Pos Senderut to 144 villagers to "cover expenses" on voting day, but again denied this was inducement.

The last witness for the day, Yok Hem Yok Toh, alleged that Pakatan Harapan also gives aid to Orang Asli villagers, but only to those who support them.

"They did not come to our village because we did not show support for them," he said.

This was unlike Wan Rosdy, contended Yok Ham, who always provided aid to all Orang Asli regardless of whether they supported "dacing (BN), rocket (DAP) or the moon (PAS)."

The hearing before Justice Azizah Nawawi will continue on Oct 4, when Wan Rosdy is expected to testify. - Mkini