Bersih calls out use of public hall as BN centre, candidate says has consent

 

Electoral watchdog Bersih has called out BN for turning a community hall in Felda Nitar 1, in Mersing, Johor into BN's Tenggorah election operations centre.

However, BN Tenggaroh candidate K Raven maintained that the coalition was received permission to use the hall.

Bersih had expressed concern about possible abuse of public facilities by an incumbent coalition.

"In our view, community halls should not have any party flags or banners.

"To us, this is an abuse of public facilities," Bersih chairperson Thomas Fann told Malaysiakini.

Fan said that an exception can be made if BN rented the hall.

Raven, when asked if there was any rental, said he was unsure as the arrangement was done by Umno. Raven is from MIC.

However, he stressed that the local Village Security and Development Committee, appointed by the state government, had given their permission for BN to use the hall.

"They gave us permission to use it as the Umno office has been there all the while.

"We have always used it and every time the permission is renewed. If we don't have permission we won't use it," he told Malaysiakini.

A photograph of the community hall showed BN and Umno flags fluttering around the premises, as well as a banner featuring Raven's image.

Raven, who is the incumbent assemblyperson in Tenggaroh since 2013, is seeking a third team.

Tenggaroh is one of two state seats within the parliamentary constituency of Mersing. The other state seat is Endau.

Raven is facing Perikatan Nasional's Roslan Nikmat who is from PAS, PKR's Zulina Johari and Pejuang Mohd Firdaus Abd Rahman.

Yesterday, PKR president Anwar Ibrahim was also present at the nearby Felda Tenggaroh 2 to stump for Zulinah, as well as Harapan's Endau candidate Mohammad Fakhrul Radzi.

Johoreans will go to the polls on March 12. - Mkini