The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih 2.0) expresses grave concern on faces and names of elected politicians appearing on Covid-19 gifts for constituents such as rice and hand sanitizer, as some may involve abuse of government funding. We call on all involved representatives to publicly declare the cost and source of such gifts.

If government funds are abused for politicians to seek gratification, it may warrant investigation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) under Section 23 of the MACC Act. However, from the prima facie evidence gathered, the 19 cases brought to the attention of Bersih 2.0 may be classified in three categories with different issues.

List of 19 elected representatives whose names and faces appear on Covid-19 relief items

No	Name (Party)	Stated Executive Capacity	Stated Legislative Capacity/ Constituency	Stated Party Capacity	Items with Face/Name	Category by Most Prominent Office
A1	Annuar Musa (UMNO)	Minister, Federal Territories	MP, Ketereh (P026)	–	Rice	Federal Minister
A2	Saifuddin Abdullah (PPBM)	Minister, Communications and Multimedia	MP, Indera Mahkota (P082)	–	Rice	Federal Minister
A3	Ikmal Hisham Abdul Aziz (PAS)	Deputy Minister, Agriculture	MP, Tanah Merah (P027)	–	Rice	Federal Deputy Minister
A4	Mukhriz Mahathir (PPBM)	MB and Kedah State Government	–	–	Rice & Hand Sanitizer	Chief Minister
A5	Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail (UMNO)	Pahang State Government	–	–	Gift Package/Box	Chief Minister
A6	Veerapan a/l Superamaniam (DAP)	Exco, Negeri Sembilan	ADUN, Repah (N36, Negeri Sembilan)	–	Hand Sanitizer	State Exco
B1	Azmin Ali (PPBM)	–	Gombak	–	Hand Sanitizer	Federal Senior Minister
B2	Ismail Sabri bin Yaakob (UMNO)	–	MP, Bera (P90)	Chief, Bera Division, UMNO	Rice	Federal Senior Minister
B3	Noraini Ahmad (UMNO)	–	MP, Parit Sulong (P147)	–	Rice	Federal Minister
B4	Summugam Rengasamy		Unclear	–	Rice	State Exco
B5	Najwan Halimi (PKR)	–	Unclear	–	Gift Package/Box	State Government Backbencher
B6	Nga Kok Ming (DAP)	–	Deputy Speaker, DR; MP, Teluk Intan (P076); ADUN, Aulong (N18, Perak)	–	Gift Package	Deputy Speaker, Dewan Rakyat
B7	Khalid Samad (Amanah)	–	Unclear	–	Gift Package/Box	Former Federal Minister
B8	Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman (PPBM)	–	Unclear	–	Rice	Former Federal Minister
B9	Hannah Yeoh (DAP)	–	MP, Segambut(P117)	–	Gift Package/Box	Former Federal Deputy Minister
B10	Lim Lip Eng (DAP)	–	MP, Kepong (P114)	–	Rice	Former Government Backbencher
B11	Fahmi Fadzil (PKR)	–	MP, Lembah Pantai (P121)	–	Gift Package/Box, Hand Sanitizer	Former Government Backbencher
B12	Chan Ming Kai (PKR)	–	MP, Alor Setar (P009)	–	Vegetables	Former Government Backbencher
C1	Young Syefura Othman (DAP)	–	Unclear	–	Rice	State Opposition Member

*Bersih 2.0 thanks all netizens who provide the photographic evidences

 

Category A: Potential abuse of power by Federal and State Frontbenchers 

In the most clear-cut cases, two federal ministers (Annuar Musa, Saifuddin Abdullah), a federal deputy minister (Ikmal Hisham) and a state exco (Veerapan a/l Superamaniam) have their faces and/or names featured on the gift pack, in both their capacities as federal/state minister and constituency representative. (Another state exco, Summugam Rengasamy may have done the same but is listed in category B because the writing on images obtained is not clear.)

If the gifts were funded using executive resources under their watch, Bersih 2.0 believes they have abused their ministerial power and should be subject to investigation under the MACC Act. However, if the fund has come from their Constituency Development Fund (CDF) or other constituency allocation, their cases would be the same as in category B.

In the grey area, Menteri Besars, Mukhriz Mahathir and Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail, provide gifts printed with their portrait in the name of their state government. If the gifts involve fund for statewide purposes but are given only to their own constituencies or very selected recipients personally connected to them, and not for all qualified recipients across the state, they too should be investigated for abuse of power.

In a separate but related development, we would like to point out that the posters of “Pakej Perangsangan Selangor Prihatin menangani Kesan Covid-19” (The Caring Selangor’s Stimulus Package to Counter Effects of Covid-19) are inappropriate by personally featuring Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari, instead of the Selangor State Government he leads.

Not only promotion of personality cult is bad for democracy, this should not happen because Selangor — by default of constitutional monarchy – has a parliamentary government. There is no MB without the State Government. And there is no State Government without the confidence of the State Legislature. Mr Amirudin Shari must not mistake himself to be the state president of Selangor with a statewide personal mandate. As in the federal case, Selangor’s stimulus package should therefore be tabled and debated in the Selangor State Legislature.

 

Category B: Under-regulated Use of Constituency Allocation

In this category, three federal ministers, Azmin Ali, Ismail Sabri and Noraini Ahmad; a state Exco, Summugam Rengasamy; and a state government backbencher, Najwan Halimi, give constituents Covid-19 relief items with their faces and/or names featured.

As members of federal or state ruling coalition, all five of them are entitled to the regular Constituency Development Fund (CDF) or special Covid-19 allocation. Hence, if the gifts are paid for with constituency allocations, there would be no legal issue.

With the latest decision to allow opposition parliamentarians to use up to RM 100,000, the gifts by 7 of them (Nga Kok Meng, Khalid Samad, Syed Saddiq, Lim Lip Eng, Fahmi Fadzil and Chan Ming Kai) may also be funded using taxpayers’ money. If they pay it from their own pocket, then they fall into category C.

Regardless of party, why should lawmakers take the credit when the funds come from taxpayers and not the representatives’ own pockets? This is why Bersih 2.0 has constantly highlighted the need for constituency allocation to be rigorously regulated and transparently administered.

With proper regulation, politicians will have no opportunities to fish popularity using taxpayers’ contribution.

 

Category C: Potential encouragement of clientelism with private fund

The last category consists of one state opposition representative, Young Syefura Othman, and possibly any of the seven opposition parliamentarians in Category B who uses their own money to buy those relief items.

It is not unlawful for politicians to seek name recognition after forking out their own money to aid their constituents. However, this nevertheless still encourages clientelism and erodes democracy.

The ultimate solution is to have first, professional, impartial and responsive state agencies to sufficiently provide for constituents’ need for local development and relief; second, a strong civil society to allow members of society to support each other, as aptly framed by the Covid-19 relief hatchtag #KitaJagaKita. 

The rise of politician-sourced aids and the Majlis Keselamatan Negara’s banning of NGO relief work are therefore not at all a coincidence.

Bersih 2.0’s Demands

After considering the facts and possibilities, Bersih 2.0 makes the following calls:

• All politicians should stop immediately advertising their photo and name on reliefgoods that are bought with taxpayers’ money;
• All elected representatives to make public their expenses and sources for Covid-19 relief, ensuring accountability and transparency;
• Any element of power abuse in the 5 cases in Category A to be duly investigated by the MACC;
• Introduction of rigorous regulation and oversight mechanism on all constituency-level funding administered by federal and state lawmakers without partisan discrimination, such that politicians cannot claim credit for contribution made by taxpayers;
• Lifting excessive restrictions on civil society organisation’s relief work for the marginalised, so not to create a captive market for popularity-hungry politicians

Released by:
Steering Committee of Bersih 2.0