TI-M unfazed by 'polls bribe' criticism

Amidst brickbats, the Malaysian chapter of corruption watchdog Transparency International-Malaysia (TI-M) is maintaining its position that government handouts during election campaigns are blatant vote buying tactics.

"Of course it's a bribe. What else could it be? If you are outrightly giving a voter RM1,000 and say 'vote for me', what else could it be? There have to be clear do's and don'ts," TI-M president Paul Low said.

Speaking on the sidelines of a function in Kuala Lumpur today, Low also maintained that promises made during campaigns constitute a grey area.


Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz told Parliament on Tuesday that “assistance”, such as giving out sewing machines during election campaigns, are not considered vote buying.

He said this was because “assisting” the public was part of the ruling party's way of fulfilling its election manifesto, adding that “assistance” can be given at any time.

Responding to this, TI-M held a press conference yesterday to denounce Nazri's position, but said that it was “not bothered” about promises or pledges made during elections.

TI-M doesn't want to argue

This elicited a strong response from polls watchdog Coalition for Free and Fair Elections (Bersih 2.0) chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasen, who said that promising development in return for votes was “clear cut bribery”.

Nazri also issued an immediate rebuttal against Low, referring to a 1981 court decision that it was not an offence but in line with the government's responsibility to ensure development and allocate funds, regardless of whether there was an election.

When asked about this, Low remained diplomatic and said he was merely conveying TI-M's position and did not wish to engage in an argument with anyone.

"This is basically just our point of view," he told reporters after the launch of the corporate integrity pledge and anti-corruption principles function at Bursa Malaysia.

The event was launched by the minister in charge of the Performance, Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu), Idris Jala, who said the pledge could be a step in getting corporations to unite against bribery during the tender process.

With the pledge taken on a voluntary basis, Idris said, he hoped companies would embody the spirit of the pledge, instead of "treating it just as a piece of paper". (Regina Lee)