Ismail Sabri's offer is clear election bribery, but EC is silent

GEORGE TOWN - Umno Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s offer on May 1 of agricultural approvals in Permatang Pauh, subject to the BN candidate winning the parliamentary seat in the May 7 by-election, is a blatant attempt at electoral bribery punishable by a jail sentence of up to two years.

That warning comes from lawyer and Padang Serai MP N Surendran.

Under Section 10(a) of the Elections Act 1954, a person is guilty of bribery if he offers or promises any “valuable consideration” to electors in order to induce them to vote for any candidate, pointed out Surendran who also heads PKR’s Political Bureau. "Ismail Sabri’s offer of agricultural approvals is clearly a ‘ valuable consideration’; and thus in clear breach of section 10(a).”

”By virtue of section 11(1), the offence of bribery is punishable with imprisonment for up to two years.

It is appalling that the BN is stooping to such illegal, underhanded and desperate methods to win the by-election, he added.

More shocking, he continued, was the complete silence and inaction of the EC Chairman Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof “on this very public instance of election bribery”.

”The EC must take stern and immediate action on this matter to uphold the integrity and fairness of the electoral process. “