PETALING JAYA: Former Melaka chief minister Datuk Seri Idris Haron's promise of sponsoring two goats for a feast constitutes as an election offence, says the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih 2.0).
Idris reportedly said if Barisan Nasional secures more votes in Angsa Emas, he will sponsor two goats for a feast in Taman Angsamas.
The Angsa Emas polling district is in the Rantau constituency where a by-election will take place on April 13.
"Bersih 2.0 is of the view that Idris has committed the election offence of bribery, as defined in Section 10(c) of the Election Offences Act 1954," it said.
"A conditional promise was made that he will provide the two goats after the election, on the condition that the Angsa Emas polling district gives more than 300 votes to Mohamad (Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan).
"This element of conditional promise differentiates it from the offence of treating. If he fulfils the promise by providing a feast after the election, it would then be Section 8 for the offence of treating," the election watchdog said in a statement on Tuesday (April 2).
Bersih 2.0 also called for the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate the offence.
Earlier, Election Commission chairman Azhar Azizan Harun said that the alleged promise would be considered an electoral offence.
The Rantau polling day will see Pakatan Harapan's Dr S. Streram squaring off against Barisan candidate Mohamad and independent candidates Mohd Nor Yassin and Malar Rajaram.
The Rantau by-election was triggered following a Federal Court decision to uphold an earlier ruling by the Election Court to nullify the results for Rantau.
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