KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 6 — Perikatan Nasional (PN) revealed today that each of its candidates in the 15th general election (GE15) received RM50,000 each for campaigning.
However, its secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin denied that the funds were derived from number forecast operators’ special lottery draw revenues.
“Yes, it is true we gave money. I am the PN secretary-general and there are many candidates in front of me... we only gave RM50,000 to each candidate. if I had the money from the gamblers, I think [PN] would not only win 73 seats, we would also sweep Barisan Nasional’s 30 seats,” he was quoted saying by New Straits Times.
Under the Election Offences Act 1958, a candidate may spend up to RM200,000 to campaign for a federal seat.
Yesterday Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who also heads the Finance Ministry, suggested that gaming revenue might have been used to fund campaign elections but did not provide evidence. Instead, the prime minister said he would have to “check on that”.
Although he did not specify any party or politician in the allegation, it was believed to have been a reference to Muhyiddin’s PN coalition.
PAS earlier demanded that Anwar provide proof for his allegation, or the bloc would consider suing should he fail to present the evidence.
Hamzah said then-finance minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz would be able to talk more on this, since he now serves as the international trade and industry minister under Anwar.
“He said in the previous government there were 22 special draws. Who was the finance minister? Tengku Zafrul, you must ask Tengku Zafrul,” Hamzah said, referring to Anwar.
Anwar had announced that his administration will cut down the amount of special lottery draws by number forecast firms to just eight in a calendar year starting January 1 next year, after the PN administration had increased it back to 22.
