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KUCHING, July 6: The law should broaden its net to catch those that give out “free lunches” to people during elections or festive periods.
Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) president Voon Lee Shan believes that the guise of helping people in need during festive seasons and during elections by giving out free food, drinks and liquor especially to people in longhouses, rural areas and civil servants should be viewed as a form of bribery and corruption.
“The practice of ‘political bribery’ becomes a bad culture encouraged by wealthy politicians and their wealthy supporters. This will breed corrupt politicians and corrupt government because such money and expenses are not free.
“These politicians and governments who handed out such money and pleasantries will find ways to recover what they had spent on their people and citizens,” said Voon in a statement.
Meanwhile, he also advocated for the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2029 to be amended to prevent abuse of MACC officers.
“The law at the moment allows MACC officers to summon any citizen who could be mere suspects or witnesses to MACC office in Putrajaya from any part of Malaysia.
“The person summoned could be in Sabah and Sarawak but would need to cough up huge expenses to go to Putrajaya in Malaya to assist MACC in their investigation. Who is going to pay their expenses?” Voon asked.
A person who may be a potential witness may find ways not to assist MACC in their investigation if they have to pay for his or her own expenses. To him, these expenses should be borne by MACC. — DayakDaily
