Kong: Will SUPP and allies walk the talk on vote-fishing?
KUCHING: Special assistant to Sarawak DAP chairman, Michael Kong Feng Nian, hopes that Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) and its allies will walk the talk when it comes to vote-fishing.
Kong said he concurred with SUPP’s Aaron Tay that there must be no dirty politics and smear tactics this state election.
“When talking about dirty politics, we should also look at other aspects such as political campaigning and election expenditure. It is a known secret that the GPS, formerly known as BN (Barisan Nasional) Sarawak, has been practising vote-fishing for many elections.
“As an enforcement officer, I have seen it with my own eyes how a coupon system was created to get votes. After casting their ballot papers, voters would be given a coupon which could be redeemed for cash,” he claimed in a statement yesterday.
“I hope that his (Tay) words will reach the ears of his party members and also their candidates.”
Kong further alleged that in the past, SUPP party members would resort to dirty politics in order to smear the names of their opponents, especially DAP leaders, and on a daily basis, SUPP members or supporters would carry out smear campaigns on social media platforms in the hope of pulling DAP down.
“This is the common trait of GPS, BN and PN. Even in Malacca, a video has gone viral of food packages with RM50 attached being distributed to
elderly people. Can we really believe that this has nothing to do with vote-fishing?” he said.
Kong also said every candidate for the state election is also allowed to spend up to RM100,000 for their campaigning.
“With the rising cost of printing materials and others, it will prove to be an expensive campaign especially when money has to be spent on digital platforms like Facebook. Will SUPP candidates also be spending within that budget (of RM100,000)?
“Judging from past banners and billboards erected by SUPP and also their fancy LED-moving vehicles, their expenditure is definitely higher than the threshold.
“Therefore, I hope that SUPP will walk the talk. Mature politics does not stop only with name-calling or smearing.
“I challenge all SUPP candidates in the coming state election, including Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian and Aaron Tay – if rumours are true that he will be standing as a candidate – to come out clean and spend within the RM100,000 budget set by the Election Commission,” he said.