Independents criticise Anwar for 'using gov't machinery' to campaign

PD POLLS | Two independent candidates in the Port Dickson by-election have criticised Anwar Ibrahim for purportedly using government machinery in his campaigning.

This comes after Bersih announced that five out of the seven candidates have signed the pledge to support free and fair elections, including Anwar, who is the Pakatan Harapan candidate.

“We can see clearly that some candidates and parties have broken the third promise (in Bersih’s pledge). There are candidates who have used the military platform, speaking in front of the army and using official vehicles.

“Mosques have also been used for speeches, supposedly under the guise of tazkirah, so it is clearly a misuse,” independent candidate Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan told a press conference today.

The third promise on the pledge states that candidates will “not use resources, vehicles, staff, programmes, ministry machinery, departments, agencies and bodies related to the federal, state and local government for campaigning work”.

Though Saiful (photo) did not mention names, he was clearly referring to his former boss Anwar, who had attended a military function on Wednesday with Defence Minister Mohamad Sabu.

Anwar also had several tazkirah maal hijrah programmes in mosques throughout his campaign in Port Dickson.

Fellow independent candidate Stevie Chan also criticised Anwar for using government machinery and gifting voters.

Among the examples, Chan provided as “evidence of abuses” include Anwar’s announcement that he had secured two private projects for Port Dickson if he wins - which are a five-star hotel and an airline training programme.

Chan also pointed to an RM200,000 dinner organised by local Chinese associations and sponsored by a Hong Kong donor in support of Anwar, as well as the free e-tuition programme which the PKR president-elect launched yesterday for Port Dickson students.

Though Anwar has repeatedly claimed the programme is not related to any government machinery, Chan said the website is linked to ezLearn2U, an online education programme assisted by the Perak state government.

Calling these acts an example of “old politics”, Chan (photo) said this is the reason he is contesting in the by-election.

“We may have changed government on May 9, but if we allow these ‘old politics’ behaviour to continue, we will just go back to where we were before,” he added in a statement.

Aside from the third promise, Bersih’s pledge also includes promises to uphold the integrity and principles of free and fair elections; to obey the Election Offences Act 1954; to ensure that voters can vote freely without intimidation, threats and undue influence; not to use racial and religious sentiments as political tools; as well as to defend the right of every voter to take part in the electoral process.

Bersih executive director Yap Swee Seng said the two candidates who did not sign the pledge were PAS' Mohd Nazari Mokhtar and independent Mohd Isa Samad. - Mkini