SHAH ALAM - The political history of Malaysia indeed shows that the culture of the ruling party using government assets and machinery to aid election campaigns is not a new phenomenon.
Since the administration of the second prime minister, Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, Barisan Nasional (BN), as the ruling party at the time, had already been actively using government agencies such as the Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) and the Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) to win the hearts of rural voters during election seasons.
Even the establishment of several government agencies like the Special Affairs Department (Jasa), now rebranded as the Community Communications Department (JKOM), the Community Development Department (Kemas), the Orang Asli Development Department (Jakoa), and the Information Department is generally known to be used as propaganda tools by the ruling party to indoctrinate grassroots-level citizens.
As a result, we can see how deep-seated anti-DAP sentiments have been among the rural Malay community in the past.
Similarly, a polarisation of hatred erupted among Umno and Pas supporters following the controversial 'Amanat Haji Hadi' by Pas President Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang in April 1981.
The strategy of the ruling party using government machinery to aid election campaigns might still be considered effective until the administration of the sixth prime minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
It is well known that the decision to give the 1Malaysia People's Aid (BR1M) by Najib a few months before the 13th General Election (GE13) was considered very significant in maintaining the level of support from Malay voters at that time.
However, the political awareness of Malaysians had increased along with advancements in information technology and social media.
They were no longer constrained by the one-way information provided by the ruling party through government propaganda machinery.
Instead, the defeat of BN in GE14 was proof that voters were no longer swayed by election handouts and various forms of assistance from the ruling party during election seasons.
Even though the 16th Sabah State Election in September 2020 saw that the strength of the government machinery and election handouts somewhat helped the coalition of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) and BN to form the state government in Sabah.
The fate of Bersatu and Perikatan Nasional (PN) under the leadership of the eighth prime minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, was not as favourable in the Melaka and Johor state elections. They were defeated by BN in both states before GE15.
The same fate befell the unity government led by Pakatan Harapan (PH), BN, the Sarawak Parties Alliance (GPS), the Sabah People's Alliance (GRS), and several other parties post-GE15.
The position of PH-BN as the ruling party was not an advantage for them to win all 10 by-elections and the state elections in six states in 2023.
In the 10 by-elections post-GE15, the unity government coalition only managed to win six state seats: Tioman, Simpang Jeram, Pulai, Pelangai, Jepak, and Kuala Kubu Baharu, as well as three out of six states in the 2023 state elections. These victories came at a high price.
Election handouts
From the six-state elections last year up to the Sungai Bakap state by-election, Sinar Premium identified at least eight instances of election handouts and three allegations of using government assets by unity government leaders reported by several election monitoring bodies and the opposition bloc.
Among them was the announcement by the Prime Minister’s political secretary, Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin, who delivered contributions to nine mosques and 20 suraus in the Sungai Bakap area, Penang, in conjunction with Hari Raya Aidiladha, amounting to RM290,000 ahead of the Sungai Bakap state by-election.
In the same by-election campaign, the Housing and Local Government also announced an allocation of nearly RM18 million for implementing 10 public infrastructure development projects in Seberang Perai.
Its minister, Nga Kor Ming, disclosed that the RM18 million allocation would be used for building the Permatang Tinggi Fire and Rescue Station, upgrading the Bukit Panchor market, and funding six non-Islamic places of worship.
During the Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election, Kor Ming also announced an allocation of RM5.21 million to the Hulu Selangor Municipal Council for implementing various development projects.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, previously promised two projects would be implemented if the unity government coalition won the Sungai Bakap state seat.
The BN Chairman’s announcement involved the creation of a Senior Citizens Center and the construction of a Tamil school in Sungai Bakap.
Regarding allegations of misuse of government assets or machinery, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s use of the Agusta Westland AW139 helicopter owned by the Prime Minister's Department during a program in Jeneri and Kupang in Kedah during last year's six-state elections also sparked public controversy.
Not stopping there, Opposition chief whip Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan, during a parliamentary debate, also raised allegations of the use of three other helicopter assets by Anwar and Zahid to attend the Rural Entrepreneurs Carnival Programme in Sungai Besar, Selangor, last year.
Transport minister Anthony Loke was also not spared from public criticism.
The DAP Secretary-General was accused of using an official ministerial vehicle while campaigning in the Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election.
Meanwhile, Universiti Utara Malaysia Public Management Department senior lecturer Associate Professor Dr Malike Brahim, acknowledged he was not surprised by the unity government leaders’ continuation of the outdated practice of using government machinery and election handouts in by-election campaigns.
Despite Anwar’s long-standing slogans of administrative reform and promises to fight corruption, Malike believed that the practice was difficult to eradicate from the current government because many of its leaders were previously part of the old government.
"However, the results of the unity government's losses in five by-elections and three states in the 2023 state elections, despite the advantage of government machinery, prove that the political awareness of the people has increased.
"With information available on social media, the significant defeat of PH candidates in the Sungai Bakap state by-election is a clear signal that the people are no longer swayed by election handouts," he said.
Following this, Malike suggested that the unity government should no longer continue the outdated political practices in any upcoming election campaigns.
He explained that such practices were also opposed by various independent non-governmental organisations such as the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) and Rasuah Busters.
"In my view, the people are no longer ignorant. Offering development allocations to the people of an area during election season will not change their stance to support the opposition if the government does not truly understand their needs.
"The government should conduct a more in-depth assessment of the need to create more policies to help the people, not implement policies that burden them, such as the decision to adjust diesel subsidies.
"At the same time, the government’s information machinery must also refine grassroots information and the effectiveness of a policy implemented more transparently and honestly," he said.