Vote buying: PM Najib’s blatant denial amuses opposition

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s statement in Parliament that the federal government “never promised voters programmes or projects during the by-elections, including the Sibu by-election," has tickled the opposition.

“He is a habitual liar. He is always twisting his words,” said Kuala Langat parliamentarian Abdullah Sani.

“It’s a habit with Najib that goes way back. When you read his comments it sounds quite funny.”

In a written response to Sibu MP Wong Ho Leng (DAP)’s question on Wednesday, the Prime Minister’s Department, while denying it had used development projects to woo voters during the Sibu by-election, admitted that it had approved 107 projects worth RM37.7 million during the campaigning period.

Wong had asked the government how much it had spent on the Sibu by-election.

"The programmes or projects approved were planned prior to the by-election, similar to other parliamentary or state constituencies throughout the nation," the response from the PM’s Department read.

Commenting on the statement, an amused Klang MP Charles Santiago said: “The people won’t buy that!”

“The public won’t easily accept Najib’s statement because the video clip on his controversial offer is now common knowledge. They won’t buy his denial.

“Besides it’s not just Sibu and the by-election in Hulu Selangor. Najib has been making pledges everywhere … he suddenly approved RM3million for Chinese schools (in Sibu) with a condition that their candidate must win in the polls.”

Santiago was referring to the video clip on Youtube where Najib had, on the eve of the hotly contested Sibu parliamentary seat by-election last month, openly offered Rajang park residents RM5million for flood mitigations if they voted his candidate Robert Lau May 16.

However Barisan Nasional, which held the Sibu parliamentary seat for a quarter century, lost it to DAP in a tightly fought race on May 16. BN polled 18,447 to DAP’s 18,845.

courtesy of FMT