MIC man denies buying votes in Bkt Melawati

Sivasubramaniam says he paid only petrol expenses for 162 voters.

PETALING JAYA: Selangor MIC information chief N Sivasubramaniam today denied that he bought votes to ensure Barisan Nasional’s victory in Bukit Melawati in the recent general election.

Responding to an allegation by PKR’s S Manikavasagam, he said the latter was “talking nonsense” because he was frustrated that he had lost the Bukit Melawati contest to Umno’s Jakiran Jacomah.

He challenged Manikavasagam to lodge a report to the Election Commission.

Sivasubramaniam told FMT he did pay RM50 each to 162 voters but claimed this was legal because the money was for their petrol expenses.

“This is something common that is exercised by both BN and Pakatan,” he said.

Manikavasagam has uploaded a video on YouTube to back his allegation. An audio clip accompanying the video records a phone conversation about payments to voters. One of the speakers is alleged to be Sivasubramaniam.

Manikavasagam told FMT he would release another incriminating video soon.

Sivasubramaniam was in charge of BN operations at the Bukit Rotan polling centre, where 1,583 voters were eligible to cast their ballots.

He told FMT that 262 of the voters had moved out of Bukit Melawati before the election. “So we arranged for funds to cover the cost of petrol for them.”

He claimed that the 162 voters were known supporters of BN.

He pointed out that the BN candidate lost at the Bukit Rotan polling centre, receiving only 456 votes.

“Is it possible for BN to lose at a centre where it had already bought votes, as alleged by Manikavasagam?”

Explaining the phone conversation heard in the YouTube video, he said he was talking to someone who had complained that he had received petrol money for only four voters travelling from Taman Medan when he should have received enough for seven.

“So I replied that we had already paid to all the 162 voters coming from outside,” he said.

“I also recommended that those voters should change their voting centre to Taman Medan for the next election.”