It was not us, says Bersih, but the EC that lodged police report against Najib for by-election offence

General view at the polling station in SMK Jalan Kebun during the Sungai Kandis by-election on Saturday. -Bernamapic

PETALING JAYA: It was the Election Commission (EC), not Bersih 2.0, which lodged a police report against former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak for committing an election offence during the Sungai Kandis by-election.

"Bersih 2.0 wishes to clarify that Bersih 2.0 did not lodge a police report on election offences committed by Najib, but instead lodged the report to the Election Commission.

"The Election Commission in turn had lodged a police report on the case, which we believe led to the investigation of Najib," it said in a statement on Tuesday (Oct 2).

Najib, on his Facebook post on Monday (Oct 1), had questioned whether the electoral watchdog group had also lodged a police report against PKR for their election offences during the Sungai Kandis by-election as he said it would be a good time for Bersih 2.0 and the government to prove that they are fair.

Najib said this was because the police would soon be questioning him for his Facebook post published on polling day calling for Malaysians to vote for Barisan Nasional.

Any form of campaigning on polling day is an election offence.

Bersih said it had conducted election observations on the Sungai Kandis by-election and all election offences committed by all parties, including Umno and PKR candidates, were documented in its election observation report which has been submitted to the EC for further action. 

However, it said it would be up to the EC to determine the "appropriate measures" as it was an institution with powers under the Federal Constitution to take action on election offences.

"Bersih 2.0 welcomes the action taken by the Election Commission and the police as this sets a new precedent of taking action on election offences, which have been largely ignored in the past under the rule of Barisan Nasional with total impunity," it said.

It also called on the EC to investigate all other election offences in the report which they had submitted, including those committed by PKR.

Bersih 2.0 added that other complains by the public or other organisations should also be investigated to ensure free and fair elections.

"We hope this will send the right signals to all political parties and candidates to abide by the principles of clean, free and fair elections in all future elections, including the current running by-election in Port Dickson," it said.