Offer of senatorship to withdraw from polls is bribery – Bersih

THE Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) is alarmed by a news report that the Barisan Nasional candidate for the delayed Padang Serai election, Datuk C. Sivarraajh, has been offered a senatorship to withdraw and make way for the Pakatan Harapan candidate.

This is clearly a violation of Section 10(i) of the Election Offences Act 1954 where any inducement to a candidate to withdraw from a contest is considered a corrupt practice (bribery) and upon conviction is punishable with up to two years’ jail, a fine of up to RM5,000, or both.

Police and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission have to investigate the veracity of this allegation and charge both the inducer and the recipient of the bribe if such an offer was indeed made.

Bersih calls on all those who are contesting in elections to become lawmakers to respect the laws that regulate elections. It is utterly inconsistent and ironic that aspirants to be lawmakers should start their careers as lawbreakers. – The Vibes, December 2, 2022

Bersih is a non-governmental coalition campaigning for free and fair elections in Malaysia