PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man has warned that the practice of cash handouts, commonly referred to as “bom” during the final days of campaigning, remains widespread and risks becoming normalised if not tackled urgently.
He said this vote-buying practice, along with seasonal promises and “visits to the people” that only appear during election campaigns, reflects an outdated political culture that should have been abandoned long ago.
According to Tuan Ibrahim, it is no longer a secret that cash-for-votes “bombing” is still carried out openly in almost every election, particularly toward the end of the campaign period.
He added that other forms of rule-breaking, such as the use of government machinery, announcing projects during the campaign, public feasts and various types of handouts, are also becoming more rampant.
“These practices are clearly wrong and must be taken more seriously. Action should be taken without waiting for election petitions to be filed,” he said in a Facebook post.
He lamented that the Election Commission (EC) and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) have yet to act firmly, and questioned why election watchdogs like Bersih, once very vocal, now seem quieter on such serious issues.
“Perhaps this is because most of the violations are committed by those in government,” he said.
Tuan Ibrahim said that while vote-buying undoubtedly influences a segment of voters, many still reject the culture even if they accept the cash.
“What worries me is that if these ‘bombs that did not explode’ are not curbed, they will be normalised and eventually destroy our electoral system,” he added.
