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.By Mihar Dias Copyright (C) September 2023
Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's recent return to the campaign trail, despite being discharged without acquittal, raises concerns about the state of electoral integrity in Malaysia.
The fact that the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) had to lodge a police report against the Deputy Prime Minister for alleged manipulation and bribery during his visit to a People’s Housing Project (PPR) in Taman Perling is deeply troubling.
It's disheartening to see Zahid's alleged attempt to unduly influence voters by making conditional promises regarding the PPR upgrading project based on the outcome of the Pulai by-election. This blatant disregard for the principles of free and fair elections is a breach of Section 9 for undue influence and Section 10 for bribery under the Election Offences Act 1954.
Moreover, Zahid's actions contradict the 3C principles advocated by Bersih for the conduct of non-caretaker governments during an election period. Government announcements or considerations should not be made with conditions, with candidates present, or using government functions to campaign.
The need for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to issue caretaker and non-caretaker government guidelines is evident to prevent the misuse of government resources and machinery by ministers for campaigning purposes.
It is troubling to note that this is not the first instance of such violations by Ahmad Zahid, as a similar speech was made during recent state elections in Kuala Terengganu.
Such conditional promises put undue pressure on voters and undermine the democratic process.
Bersih's reliance on a video clip for its report, due to their observers not being present at the event, should not be dismissed. The alleged offences are clear, and it is the responsibility of the police to investigate these matters thoroughly.
As Malaysia approaches important by-elections, it is crucial that all campaigns adhere to the principles of fairness, transparency, and democratic conduct.
Ensuring that government officials do not abuse their positions for electoral gain is paramount to upholding the integrity of the electoral process.
It is the hope of many that these elections will be conducted in a clean, fair, and democratic manner, as any deviation from these principles erodes public trust and damages the foundation of democracy.
We hope the government, particularly the DPM, understands what it means to be a great politician in a democracy.
By-elections in Johor are over by the time this is published, but others are on the horizon. We certainly hope this government takes these measures seriously or risks perpetuating the belief that it is not doing what it had promised the rakyat; cakap tak serupa bikin.
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