PETALING JAYA: PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang defended the cash handouts in three Terengganu constituencies several days before the last general election (GE15) after his party was accused of vote-buying.
He said only the candidates and their representatives were not allowed to give cash handouts.
“According to the election laws, only candidates and their representatives cannot give (the cash handouts). But if the public wants to give, that’s up to them,” he told reporters after a programme by Perikatan Nasional (PN) in Seri Menanti, Negeri Sembilan.
Hadi, however, did not specify who he referred to as “the public”.
He said this when asked to comment on the petitions filed by Terengganu Umno to nullify the results of GE15 for the Kuala Terengganu, Marang and Kemaman constituencies.
Hadi said the petitions filed by Umno were part of its “psychological warfare”.
Earlier this week, Terengganu Umno chief Ahmad Said told reporters that the party had filed petitions to challenge the results in the three constituencies.
He noted that PN gave out money in the form of i-Siswa, i-Belia and i-Pencen to voters in Terengganu on Nov 15, 16 and 17. The money was also given to those who had returned home to vote.
Polling for GE15 took place on Nov 19.
Ahmad said it was morally wrong to give out money during the election period even if the special fund came from the Terengganu state government.
In GE15, PAS won all three seats, with Hadi defending his Marang seat with a 41,729-vote majority.