At Umno assembly, Youth chief demands further action against Perikatan over alleged lavish spending ahead of last year's GE15

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 12 — Umno Youth chief Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki now wants the Election Commission (EC) to investigate all petitions against Perikatan Nasional (PN) in the 15th general election last November.

As the Malay nationalist party holds its general assembly this week to reflect on its past weaknesses and rebuild its strength, Asyraf turned a critical eye on its former ally demanding scrutiny into its alleged spendthrift ways in the run-up to GE15.

In his policy speech during his wing’s conference here, Asyraf claimed there were many videos that had circulated online last year where voters were made to swear in the name of Allah to vote for PAS in order to receive cash aid under the PN government’s Covid-19 stimulus packages.

“Therefore, Umno Youth urges the Election Commission to immediately take action against all the election petitions that have been submitted regarding bribery and there is even a video that proves the practice of bribing voters by using the name of God,” he said.

He also congratulated the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for the spate of arrests of business owners suspected of embezzling funds from the RM92.5 billion stimulus package, which was approved during the 2021 Covid Emergency.

“Rumour has it that more people will be arrested and action taken,” he added.

Asyraf claimed the arrests cemented the perception that billions of ringgit in taxpayers’ money could have been wasted during the PN administration.

Alluding to PN component parties Bersatu and PAS that won big against Umno in GE15, he raised doubts over the source of their election funds.

“Perhaps that is also the reason why there are parties that have been playing around by collecting donations to put up flags, can now campaign by spending lavishly to the extent that hundreds of ringgit are paid to outside voters and students,” he said.

He questioned how it was possible that parties that had only been formed a few years prior to Election 2022 were able to spend “millions of ringgit” on young and first-time voters.

PN chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin who is also Bersatu president has staunchly denied any impropriety in connection with funds from the stimulus package during his administration.

Kelantan PAS has also public denied telling voters to swear an oath and cast the ballot paper for the Islamist party in GE15, calling such allegations slander.