EC chief tells witnesses to lodge report on senator's warning

Election Commission (EC) chairperson Azhar Harun urged those who witnessed PKR senator Bob Manolan Mohd threatening Orang Asli village chiefs (Tok Batin) in Cameron Highlands to lodge a report with the commission.

“Those who witnessed the incident, especially whoever has video recordings of the alleged statement, I would advise them to lodge a report.

“If the incident did happen and if the statements were actually uttered, a report should be lodged as I have said in my media release (on election offences) before this,” he told Malaysiakini.

Azhar also urged political parties, candidates, and campaigners to bear in mind the provisions of the Election Offence Act during their campaign activities.

In particular, Section 9 of the Election Offences Act 1954 prohibits any person from exerting undue influence on voters.

Under the provision, this includes the “use of any force, violence, or restraint, or inflicts or threatens to inflict, by himself or by any other person, any temporal or spiritual injury, damage, harm, or loss upon or against any person in order to induce or compel such person to vote or refrain from voting”.

Upon conviction, offenders are liable to imprisonment for up to two years, and a fine between RM1,000 and RM5,000.

Azhar was commenting on a Malaysiakini report, which quoted Bob Manolan as warningthe village chiefs that they could lose their salaries and posts if they do not support the Pakatan Harapan candidate in the by-election.

“Any batin who does not support the government, we will not pay salary. It's true!

“We will not pay them. If we pay them (but) they don't support us, why should we pay them?” he had said during a dialogue this morning.

The Orang Asli make a sizable minority in Cameron Highlands, comprising 22 percent of the electorate.

Polling is to take place on Jan 26.

Harapan is fielding DAP's M Manogaran, who lost to the former MP from MIC C Sivarraajh by less than 600 votes in the last general election, whereas BN's candidate is a local Orang Asli and former assistant commissioner of police, Ramli Mohd Noor. - Mkini