PBS urges cops to probe vote-buying claims

KOTA KINABALU: Opposition Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) wants a thorough probe into allegations of vote-buying in the just-concluded Sandakan parliamentary by-election.

Describing vote-buying as a mockery and serious threat to democracy, PBS information chief Datuk Joniston Bangkuai said they trusted that the police would get to the bottom of the allegations and investigate the matter professionally.

He called on those with evidence of vote-buying not to hesitate to provide information to the police to facilitate investigations.

“I appeal to Sandakan voters to display their integrity as defenders of justice who clamour for a clean and fair election to come forward and provide whatever information they have on the alleged vote-buying to the police,” he said.

Bangkuai was commenting on a statement by Sabah Commissioner of Police Datuk Omar Mammah that they had started investigating claims that voters had received money.

Omar said police received reports of the alleged offence at 12.06am on May 11 and it had opened investigation under Section 10B of the Election Offences Act.

Bangkuai, the Kiulu assemblyman, also called on the independent electoral watchdog Bersih 2.0 to initiate a probe.

“We urge Bersih to include the claims of vote-buying in its report to the Election Commission,” he said.

The by-election on Saturday was won by DAP’s Vivian Wong, who obtained 16,012 votes, beating her closest rival, PBS candidate Datuk Linda Tsen, who got 4,491 votes.

Independents Hamzah Abdullah (788), Chia Siew Ying (176) and Sulaiman Abdul Samat (126) lost their deposits.