The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (BERSIH 2.0) rejects the claim made by the candidate of Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS), Mr. Mohd Nazari Mokhtar, that he was not contacted by BERSIH 2.0 and did not receive any documents from BERSIH 2.0 on the pledge form to support free and fair election.
BERSIH 2.0 organised a press conference on 1st October 2018 and announced that a pledge form to support for clean and fair election will be sent to all the candidates. BERSIH 2.0 subsequently contacted and gave the pledge form via whatsapp to Mr Khairul Yazman Yahaya, who is PAS Youth Chief of Negeri Sembilan and Mohd Nazari Mokhtar’s campaign coordinator and Mr. Mohd Nassaruddin Daud, who is the Information Chief of PAS for Negeri Sembilan. Mr. Khairul Yazman Yahaya responded that he needed to refer this issue to the party leaders.
BERSIH 2.0 also went to the PAS headquarters in Kuala Lumpur and physically submitted the official letter and pledge form inviting Mohd Nazari Mokhtar to sign the pledge. The official letter was received and stamped officially by PAS headquarters.
It is disingenuous for Mohd Nazari Mokhtar to claim that he did not receive anything from BERSIH 2.0 when in fact we received reply from his election campaign coordinator that Mohd Nazari Mokhtar will not sign the pledge as instructed by the party vice president. If he did not know anything about this, how was the decision made and conveyed to BERSIH 2.0?
BERSIH 2.0 has kept copy of the whatsapp exchanges to prove the conversation with both Mr Khairul Yazman Yahaya and Mr. Mohd Nassaruddin Daud and the official letter received and stamped by PAS headquarters to prove the claim of Mohd Nazari Mukhtar as untrue.
We welcome the statement of Mohd Nazari Mokhtar that despite not signing the pledge, it does not mean that he does not support the principles of free and fair elections. We wish to remind that a banquet named “Jamuan Rakyat” was organised by PAS on 9 October 2018. This may violate Section 8 of the Election Offences Act which prohibits treating of food, drink, refreshment or provision to induce voters to vote for a particular candidate. We call for a stop to such practices.
Tan Sri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad questioned the initiative by BERSIH 2.0 to have all the candidates sign the pledge form that demands clean and fair election and stated that only the Election Commission (EC) has the power to do that.
BERSIH 2.0 wishes to clarify that the pledge to support free and fair elections is a voluntary pledge. It can be initiated by any civil society organization to educate and raise public awareness on politician’s commitment to clean and fair elections. Furthermore, BERSIH 2.0 is officially accredited by the Election Commission (EC) to observe the by-election in Port Dickson and all offences documented will be submitted to the Election Commission for further action.
Isa Samad should not use the Election Commission as a lame excuse to not sign the pledge and display his commitment to clean and fair elections to the voters in Port Dickson.
Issued by,
Steering Committee of BERSIH 2.0