CAMERON HIGHLANDS (Jan 13): Pakatan Harapan (PH) has denied claims of vote-buying in the Cameron Highlands by-election campaign, saying that pictures of money being handed out showed volunteers being reimbursed for petrol costs.

"The reimbursement (for the petrol costs will be declared as election expenditures," said the coalition’s Jelai assistant operations chief Arvind Bharet said in a media statement. 

The cash reimbursement was given to volunteers from the rural and interior areas who had had helped out during nomination day on Saturday.

The by-election will see a four-cornered fight among PH, represented by the Democratic Action Party (DAP), Barisan Nasional and two independent candidates. 

It is being held after the Election Court, on Nov 30, annulled the victory of Datuk C. Sivarraajh of the BN in the 14th general election (GE14) due to corrupt practices that had influenced the voters.

On Saturday, pictures of a woman handing out cash to PH supporters were circulated via social media, prompting speculation that vote-buying was taking place in PH’s electoral campaign. 

The monies were allegedly handed out to the volunteers during the PH's event in Sungai Koyan, Pahang on Saturday. 

BN's candidate, Ramli Mohd Noor, a former police officer and an Orang Asli, had lodged a report with the police and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission claiming that electoral offences had been committed. 

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) said it is investigating the allegation, Bernama reported.

Deputy Communications and Multimedia Minister Eddin Syazlee Shith said the MCMC needed time for the probe the matter. Among others, it needed to identify the holders of the social media accounts that posted the photographs.

“Right now, I cannot give any verification on the allegation. Give us some time to secure accurate information and we will explain what actually happened. We can then confirm whether it (vote-buying) actually took place or certain quarters are merely pointing a finger,” he told reporters after a visit to the PH operations room at Felda Sungai Koyan 3 here on Sunday.

Eddin Syazlee, who is also the Negeri Sembilan Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) deputy chief, said vote-buying was contrary to the principles of PH.

“If the PH wants to use its advantages, we can easily use the government machinery like the previous regime, but we do not do that, what more where money is involved,” he said.

Eddin Syazlee, who had visited the Jelai state constituency, one of the two state constituencies within the Cameron Highlands parliamentary constituency, held a dialogue with the Orang Asli community in Pos Betau and the Rural Internet Centre of Felda Sungai Koyan 3.