Former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak, who has been active on the campaign trail for BN in today’s Sungai Kandis by-election, made a last-ditch appeal for voters to remove Pakatan Harapan from the Selangor state seat.
According to electoral watchdog Bersih 2.0, his last-minute Facebook appeal contravenes election laws forbidding any form of campaigning on election day.
“It is an offence under Section 26(1)(a) and (f) for campaigning on polling day,” said Bersih executive director Yap Swee Seng.
Section 26 (1) (a) of the Election Offences Act 1954 states that no person shall give any form of address, public or otherwise, on polling day, while Section 26 (1)(f) says that no person will canvass for votes by “whatever means.”
In the Facebook post uploaded at 7.59am this morning, Najib stated that today’s by-election date was also an indication that there were just two weeks left for the 100-day mark for Harapan to fulfil 10 of its election pledges.
Najib called into question the number of promises the government has been able to keep.
“The price of petrol is not lowered, the people are still paying for tolls, Felda’s debts are not abolished, the Royal Commission of Inquiry on 1MDB has not been held, and many more promises and accusations are seen as lies and slander.
“More dire for the rakyat still, is that prices of goods have not gone down after GST was zero-rated and will go up next month once the sales and services tax (SST) is introduced,” he said.
Najib then went on to appeal to voters to cast their ballots for BN candidate Lokman Noor Adam, saying that today’s polls were the best way for the people to send a message to the government that the rakyat will not be misled and lied to, and that Pakatan’s promises must be kept.
“Give BN a chance to be a louder voice of the opposition and give (your) support to BN candidate Lokman to defend the interests of the people in Sungai Kandis and Selangor.”
Reportedly, Bersih 2.0 plans to lodge a report with the Election Commission on Najib’s offence.