The Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) has slammed back at reports that '100 people approached the party headquarters demanding for election money'.
The party's Sibu division bumiputera unit chief Andrew Shilling said though there were several people waiting at a coffee shop below the party's office in Sibu, they could have been incited to assemble there by the Opposition.
"Most of the people waiting downstairs were not even BN supporters. I was told that they were DAP supporters. Of course (DAP) would have given them that information (that money was being given out).
"They were probably paid to buat kacau and make a scene. I'm sorry to say this, but this is a West Malaysian culture.
"They just wanted to make a ruckus," Shilling (right) told Malaysiakini.
The Sibu Election Watch (SEW) has claimed that more than 100 people were waiting in a shoplot below the party headquarters, demanding the balance of their payout.
According to SEW, the voters were expecting a balance of RM400, after being paid RM100 right before the recently concluded Sarawak election, for casting their votes for the SUPP candidate.
Sarawak DAP chief and Bukit Assek assemblyperson Wong Ho Leng tweeted on that day that the people were Iban voters from Rasau and Bawang Assan.
'Money was for campaigning work'
Shilling, who is also political secretary to the Sarawak chief minister, admitted that a meeting was taking place in the SUPP office with several Iban tuai rumah (longhouse chiefs) at the time of the incident.
According to him, 18 chiefs and community members from six longhouses in the Sungai Rasau area were meeting with him to receive payment for their work in the campaign for SUPP during the election.
"They hung posters and banners for us. And then they also received petrol allowances. They did some petty jobs for us," said Shilling.
Asked how much the remunerations were, he refused to answer and said: "I can't comment on the amount. But they were enough, lah."
Shilling also rubbished the Sibu Election Watch, saying it was not even a registered body.
"I actually don't even know what happened downstairs. Who is (SEW) anyway? Are they registered? They are not, aren't they?
"Anyone can claim that they are SEW. Of course they have the right to comment but they must be truthful," he said, reiterating that the claims of vote buying were "baseless".
'Don't think Iban votes can be bought'
Responding to the numerous allegations by DAP that SUPP had been buying votes, Shilling, who is Iban by ethnicity - said his community could not be bought easily.
"We Iban... don't look down upon us as far as money is concerned. We cannot be enticed by money.
"We're not like that - easily bought," he said.
Shilling, who has helmed the party's bumiputera unit in Sibu for eight years now, said SUPP has always had a good relationship with the bumiputera community in Sarawak.
"The tuai rumah and some of the Iban people used to come and see us in the office. They'll come and see me with all kinds of problems, whether they are unhappy with something, or they want help to write a letter, or whether they want us to recommend an application to the wakil rakyat.
"SUPP has had the Iban support even in the last state election and we have the right to choose our assemblyperson."
He said Bawang Assan assemblyperson and SUPP deputy secretary-general Wong Soon Koh (above) was capable in terms of bringing development and progress to the rural areas.
"In the rural areas, we still have to develop the basic amenities. Towns already have everything there. So there is still a very different mindset in the rural areas," said Shilling.
Wong retained his Bawang Assan seat against DAP's newcomer Alice Lau with a 1,808-vote majority. In the constituency with a sizeable 33.64 percent Iban voters, DAP has angrily claimed that its loss was the result of vote buying.
The party's Sibu division bumiputera unit chief Andrew Shilling said though there were several people waiting at a coffee shop below the party's office in Sibu, they could have been incited to assemble there by the Opposition.
"Most of the people waiting downstairs were not even BN supporters. I was told that they were DAP supporters. Of course (DAP) would have given them that information (that money was being given out).
"They were probably paid to buat kacau and make a scene. I'm sorry to say this, but this is a West Malaysian culture. "They just wanted to make a ruckus," Shilling (right) told Malaysiakini.
The Sibu Election Watch (SEW) has claimed that more than 100 people were waiting in a shoplot below the party headquarters, demanding the balance of their payout.
According to SEW, the voters were expecting a balance of RM400, after being paid RM100 right before the recently concluded Sarawak election, for casting their votes for the SUPP candidate.
Sarawak DAP chief and Bukit Assek assemblyperson Wong Ho Leng tweeted on that day that the people were Iban voters from Rasau and Bawang Assan.
According to him, 18 chiefs and community members from six longhouses in the Sungai Rasau area were meeting with him to receive payment for their work in the campaign for SUPP during the election."They hung posters and banners for us. And then they also received petrol allowances. They did some petty jobs for us," said Shilling.
Asked how much the remunerations were, he refused to answer and said: "I can't comment on the amount. But they were enough, lah."
Shilling also rubbished the Sibu Election Watch, saying it was not even a registered body.
"I actually don't even know what happened downstairs. Who is (SEW) anyway? Are they registered? They are not, aren't they?
"Anyone can claim that they are SEW. Of course they have the right to comment but they must be truthful," he said, reiterating that the claims of vote buying were "baseless".
'Don't think Iban votes can be bought'
Responding to the numerous allegations by DAP that SUPP had been buying votes, Shilling, who is Iban by ethnicity - said his community could not be bought easily.
"We Iban... don't look down upon us as far as money is concerned. We cannot be enticed by money.
"We're not like that - easily bought," he said.
Shilling, who has helmed the party's bumiputera unit in Sibu for eight years now, said SUPP has always had a good relationship with the bumiputera community in Sarawak.
"The tuai rumah and some of the Iban people used to come and see us in the office. They'll come and see me with all kinds of problems, whether they are unhappy with something, or they want help to write a letter, or whether they want us to recommend an application to the wakil rakyat."SUPP has had the Iban support even in the last state election and we have the right to choose our assemblyperson."
He said Bawang Assan assemblyperson and SUPP deputy secretary-general Wong Soon Koh (above) was capable in terms of bringing development and progress to the rural areas.
"In the rural areas, we still have to develop the basic amenities. Towns already have everything there. So there is still a very different mindset in the rural areas," said Shilling.
Wong retained his Bawang Assan seat against DAP's newcomer Alice Lau with a 1,808-vote majority. In the constituency with a sizeable 33.64 percent Iban voters, DAP has angrily claimed that its loss was the result of vote buying.
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