PONTIAN: The Election Commission (EC) has not received any complaint of federal ministers giving allocations during the Tanjung Piai by-election campaign period.
EC deputy chairman Professor Dr Azmi Sharom said complaints, if any, should be made directly to the police or the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
“In reality, our enforcement powers are very little. If we see buntings placed wrongly then we can bring them down,” he said after making rounds at the Pontian police headquarters during early voting here today.
Azmi said only the courts could decide if ministers were guilty of bribing or not, not the EC.
“There are so many factors that we need to take into account such as the intention to induce and others.
“All this has to be settled in the court of law. The EC cannot say what is right or wrong,” he said, adding that court rulings on such issues would serve as a guideline in future situations.
Azmi also said reports had been made to the MACC over the distribution of prepaid SIM cards and the RM1,000 special aid for fishermen in the constituency.
On Saturday, MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong claimed that ceramah-goers who attended a Pakatan Harapan ceramah at Kampung Seri Bunian on Nov 8, were given free SIM cards as “rewards”.
The RM1,000 cash aid, meanwhile, was announced by Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Dr Sahruddin Jamal on Nov 6 for fishermen in southern Johor.