UMNO DISHING OUT ‘RM50, THREATS’?

VIOLATION.....Sabah State Reform Party is compiling violations by Sepanggar Umno candidate Jumat Idris under Sections 9 (1) and 10 of the Elections Offences Act 1964.

By : RAYMOND TOMBUNG

INANAM : Is Umno candidate Jumat Idris getting desperate in his bid to wrest the Sepanggar parliamentary constituency?

It’s a four-cornered fight in Sepanggar and allegations are rife that Jumat is ‘scaring’ voters with ‘threats’ whilst openly distributing RM50 gifts with ‘promises of more’ on polling day.

Referring to allegations  by PKR’s Api-Api state constituency candidate Christina Liew, Sabah State Reform Party (STAR) said they too had been receiving reports that Jumat was 'threatening' the voters.

Liew had claimed that Jumat had told voters in Sepanggar constituency that “the ruling coalition has ways of finding out who they vote for in the May polling day.”

Sepanggar parliamentary constituency includes two state seats Api-Api and Inanam. The Sepanggar incumbent is Eric Majimbun from Sabah Progressive Peoples Party (SAPP). SAPP was in the Barisan Nasional coalition in the 2008 polls but pulled out later that same year. It is now a local opposition party.

In a statement issued today, STAR deputy chairman, Daniel John Jambun said based on ground reports received by STAR and PKR it was clear that Jumat was scaring voters with a  ‘provocative lie”.

“This is a clear case of scaring voters with a provocative lie to intimidate the people into voting for BN, which is an offence of undue influence under Section 9(1) of the Election Offences Act 1964.”

Jambun also challenged Jumat to explain where he was getting all the building materials, such as zinc sheets, which he is giving away to the people.

“This is a clear case of power abuse if he is getting the fund from the state government to buy the materials.

“How on earth is he authorized to give these things away when he is not even a YB?

“I don’t believe he is using his father’s money to buy all the building materials and other expensive handouts.

“Whatever the case he is not representing the government and what he is doing is clearly bribing the voters in broad daylight, which is against Section 10 of the Election Offences Act” he said.

Jambun also claimed that Jumat was committing another direct offence by distributing RM50 notes to the voters in Sepanggar.

“It is an open bribe and he is promising more will be passed on to the voters before polling day.

“I am not making wild accusations. I have ready witnesses who can stand in court to prove this, and after collecting sufficient additional  proofs we will be making a police report on Jumat’s corrupting activities,” he said. (FMT)