If no police reports are made, law enforcement may not investigate - so make police reports NOW...
Anwar's understanding of using, or rather ABUSING, government assets, resources and power is ODD.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has emphatically stated that he has not utilised government assets throughout the campaign period of the six state elections...."You can curse me all you want, but I have not taken government money."They (critics) say I don't take money but use a car. It's a government car. "I use a government car... not just a car, but even an airplane owned by the government. What else am I supposed to do? Do they want the prime minister to fly in other people's planes? They'll fuss over that too. What's this?" he questioned.
Anwar Ibrahim or the members of the Cabinet can come down and campaign - BUT do it on your own time and expenses....and using your own private transportation or GRAB. You are there to campaign NOT as Prime Minister or Minister, but simply as a party leader...
Anwar dropped by with a government helicopter, or with a few helicopters >>> how much monies, i.e. OUR government monies was spend for that 'helicopter trips'... fuel, pilot, support staff, OT, etc.. No problem if Anwar hired and paid for his own 'private' helicopter, car, drivers and went around campaigning. Anwar seems to wrongly believes that since he is now Prime Minister, he can use government vehicles/resources/personnel as of right - this is where he is WRONG - he can use all government resources/time ONLY when he is carrying out his official duties as Prime Minister/Minister >> not for personal matters including political party/coalition matters...
[In the past, some Ministers consciously schedule some 'event' that justifies his presence in a town/place - and then spend most of the time 'campaigning' - Malaysians will no longer be fooled]
As a Prime Minister and Minister, you are a government employee, as it is the people of Malaysia that are the BOSSES that pay your salary....so were you campaigning during WORKING HOURS? No problem if you do so after working hours, or if you take annual leave from your work as Minister/PM and then go campaigning...
DID ANWAR, or any of the Unity Government members of the Cabinet, or members of any party including the Opposition commit any ELECTION OFFENCES? Bribery? Undue Influence? Treating? Etc.. YES, election offences can be committed by any person, including members of the government..
LET us not focus just on the candidates of the elections but all others...ANYONE can make a police report that can start an investigation...
PROBLEM in Malaysia is that law enforcement sometimes do not act UNLESS there is a police report - so, do make police reports to initiate investigations...
REMEMBER that even the use of religion can be an offence...
TO ENSURE FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS - WE NEED TO ACT AGAINST ALL WHO COMMIT ELECTION OFFENCES, and these offences can be committed even BEFORE the nomination or campaign periods...
Did Anwar or even MBs or members of the government commit these election offences?
'...Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has emphatically stated that he has not utilised government assets throughout the campaign period of the six state elections....' - BUT did you utilize government assets before the campaign period -- which is also an offence.
DO we need new clearer laws to prevent abuse of government power, resources used to woo voters to vote candidates from one's party/coalition?
Section 10 Bribery (ELECTION OFFENCES ACT 1954)
The following persons shall be deemed guilty of the offence of bribery:
(a) every person who, before, during or after an election, who directly or indirectly, by himself or by any other person on his behalf, gives, lends, or agrees to give or lend, or offers, promises, or promises to procure or to endeavour to procure, any money or valuable consideration to or for any elector or voter, or to or for any person on behalf of any elector or voter or to or for any other person, in order to induce any elector or voter to vote or refrain from voting, or corruptly does any such act as aforesaid on account of such elector or voter having voted or refrained from voting at any election;
(b) every person who, before, during or after an election, directly or indirectly, by himself or by any other person on his behalf, gives or procures, or agrees to give or procure, or offers, promises, or promises to procure or to endeavour to procure, any office, place or employment to or for any elector or voter, or to or for any person on behalf of any elector or voter, or to or for any other person, in order to induce such elector or voter to vote or refrain from voting, or corruptly does any such act as aforesaid on account of any elector or voter having voted or refrained from voting at any election;
(c) every person who, before, during or after an election, directly or indirectly, by himself or by any other person on his behalf, makes any such gift, loan, offer, promise, procurement, or agreement as aforesaid to or for any person in order to induce such person to procure or endeavour to procure the election of any person, or the vote of any elector or voter at any election;
(d) every person who, either before, or during an election, upon or in consequence of any such gift, loan, offer, promise, procurement or agreement, procures or engages, promises or endeavours to procure, the election of any person, or the vote of any elector or voter at an election;
(e) every person who, either before, or during an election, advances or pays or causes to be paid any money to, or to the use of, any other person with the intent that such money or any part thereof shall be expended in bribery at any election or who knowingly pays or causes to be paid any money to any person in discharge or repayment of any money wholly or in part expended in bribery at any such election;
(f) every elector or voter who, before or during any election directly or indirectly, by himself or by any other person on his behalf, receives, agrees, or contracts for any money, gift, loan, or valuable consideration, office, place or employment, for himself or for any other person, for voting or agreeing to vote or for refraining or agreeing to refrain from voting at any such election;
(g) every person who, after any election, directly or indirectly, by himself or by any other person on his behalf, receives any money or valuable consideration on account of any person having voted or refrained from voting or having induced any other person to vote or to refrain from voting at any such election;
(h) every person who, after an election directly or indirectly, by himself or by any other person on his behalf, on account of and as payment for voting or for having voted or for agreeing or having agreed to vote for any candidate at an election, or on account of and as payment for his having assisted or agreed to assist any candidate at an election, applies to such candidate, or to his agent or agents, for the gift or loan of any money or valuable consideration, or for the promise of the gift or loan of any money or valuable consideration or for any office, place or employment or for the promise of any office, place or employment; and
(i) every person who, either before, or during an election, directly or indirectly, by himself or by any person on his behalf, in order to induce any other person to agree to be nominated as a candidate or to refrain from becoming a candidate or to withdraw if he has become a candidate, gives or procures any office, place or employment, or agrees to give or procure or offers or promises to procure or to endeavour to procure any office, place or employment, to or for such other person, or gives or lends, or agrees to give or lend, or offers, or promises to procure or to endeavour to procure any money or valuable consideration to or for any person or to or for such other person, or to or for any person on behalf of such other person.
Section 9 Undue influence (ELECTION OFFENCES ACT 1954)
(1) Every person who, before, during or after an an election, directly or indirectly, by himself or by any other person on his behalf, makes use of or threatens to make use of any force, violence, or restraint, or inflicts or threatens to inflict, by himself or by any other person, any temporal or spiritual injury, damage, harm, or loss upon or against any person in order to induce or compel such person to vote or refrain from voting, or on account of such person having voted or refrained from voting, at any election, or who by abduction, duress, or any fraudulent device or contrivance impedes or prevents the free exercise of the franchise of any elector or voter, or thereby compels, induces, or prevails upon any elector or voter either to give or refrain from giving his vote at any election, or who directly or indirectly interferes or attempts to interfere with the free exercise by any person of any electoral right shall be guilty of the offence of undue influence.
(2) A person shall be deemed to interfere with the free exercise of the electoral right of a person within the meaning of this section who induces or attempts to induce such person to believe that he, or any person in whom he is interested, will become or will be rendered an object of divine displeasure or spiritual censure.
Section 8 Treating (ELECTION OFFENCES ACT 1954)
Every person who, corruptly, by himself or by any other person, either before, during or after an election, directly or indirectly gives or provides or causes to be given or provided, or is accessory to the giving or providing, or pays or engages to pay wholly or in part, the expense of giving or providing any food, drink, refreshment or provision, or any money or ticket or other means or device to enable the procuring of any food, drink, refreshment or provision, to or for any person for the purpose of corruptly influencing that person or any other person to give or refrain from giving his vote at such election or on account of any such person or any other person having voted or refrained from voting or being about to vote or refrain from voting at such election, and every elector or voter who corruptly accepts or takes any such food, drink, or refreshment or provision or any such money or ticket or who adopts such other means or device to enable the procuring of such food, drink, refreshment or provision shall be guilty of the offence of treating.
Often governments also commit election offences - like the use(or rather abuse) of government resources sometimes before nomination day... Anwar, an offence is not simply about pocketing monies... "You can curse me all you want, but I have not taken government money.
PM: I've not used any govt assets throughout this campaign period
KUALA SELANGOR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has emphatically stated that he has not utilised government assets throughout the campaign period of the six state elections.
The prime minister stated that he can withstand any allegation and accusation thrown by opposition parties, including misappropriation of government funds.
"You can curse me all you want, but I have not taken government money.
"They (critics) say I don't take money but use a car. It's a government car.
"I use a government car... not just a car, but even an airplane owned by the government. What else am I supposed to do? Do they want the prime minister to fly in other people's planes? They'll fuss over that too. What's this?" he questioned.
He made these remarks while speaking at the Grand Finale Ceramah in Kuala Selangor at the Bestari Jaya night market site, Ijok, here, tonight.
At the same time, Anwar criticised the opposition leaders who questioned the duties of the police personnel responsible for his security.
"That's their responsibility. They handle official matters, and even unofficial matters. They even watch over me when I sleep at home, all for the prime minister's safety.
"You've missed your chance, so just let it be. Stay silent," he said. - NST, 10/8/2023
So much for your 'good governance', Islamic finance expert slams Anwar over helicopter rides
Anwar Ibrahim has mocked critics who question his use of a government helicopter for campaign trips, saying it is his right as the prime minister.
Anwar Ibrahim's remarks defending his use of the government's assets, including travelling for election campaigning using a helicopter, have been criticised by a senior academic, who said the prime minister's behaviour was the opposite of whatever he had said about good governance.
Aznan Hasan, a former head of the Islamic Law Department at the International Islamic University who is part of the Securities Commission's shariah advisory board, was responding to Anwar's speech in Sik, Kedah, recently, where he arrived at several ceramah events using a government helicopter.
Anwar had hit out at critics, saying it was his right as prime minister to travel using government facilities.
"They get angry about Anwar riding in a helicopter. Yes, I boarded a government helicopter for VIPs, you know? Why are you hurt? This is the government's, not mine.
"But you can't use it; the prime minister can," he told a programme at a Felda settlement.
Aznan said the criticism over his use of a government helicopter was not because people were hurt.
"It's not because they were hurt by your use of helicopters. They're criticising because, in the past, you were famous for the slogan 'good governance' and often attacked the government at that time, which you accused of misusing government assets to campaign.
"You also attacked them for allegedly misusing official government programmes for campaigning," Aznan said in a Facebook post that has since gone viral.
"Now, whatever you attacked them for, you, too, are doing it. At least they didn't use helicopters. You're not only using a helicopter; you also go around campaigning at official government programmes," he added.
Aznan also hit out at those who had attacked past administrations over the use of public assets during elections, only to now keep their silence over the same actions by Anwar.
"It seems that all your 'good governance' talk before this only applied to others but not to you. That's what people are questioning, not out of envy. People are judging."
Earlier, a lawyer said Anwar's defence of his use of a government helicopter to attend campaign events smacked of "arrogance".
Rafique Rashid reminded Anwar that he was only entitled to use the helicopter in his capacity as prime minister.
But he said Anwar had been using the same type of transport nearly every day to tour the six states facing elections on Aug 12.
"The cost is borne by the people, but the one that benefits is the party led by PM10," Rafique told MalaysiaNow.
"Why has there been no rebuke from the other coalition parties?"
In a similar tone, electoral reform group Bersih also chided the prime minister with a reminder to politicians to be humble.
"Arrogant and haughty attitudes such as those shown by the prime minister might backfire because the people will not agree with the misuse of government machinery for campaigning," it said.
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