“This attempt to fish for votes from the fishermen is not illegal under current laws, but it is clearly unethical for a political party to use taxpayers’ money to win elections,” the group said in a statement criticising government leaders who have announced allocations for the Johor constituency ahead of the Nov 16 polls.

The group, which said it was monitoring candidates for breach of election ethics during the campaign, again called for a freeze on government allocations in seats that are declared vacant.

Yesterday, Johor Menteri Besar Dr Sahruddin Jamal defended the state’s RM1,000 cash aid for 1,513 fishermen, including 544 fishermen from Tanjung Piai.

Sahruddin had said the money was for fishermen affected by development in southern Johor, adding that it was part of a budget allocation to the Johor Fishermen Development Fund established in 2015

Bersih said Sahruddin should show the PH government’s commitment to free and fair elections by withholding handouts and other government allocations throughout the campaign period.

Bersih previously criticised three ministers – Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, Rural Development Minister Rina Harun and Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Salahuddin Ayub – for the timing of their visits to the constituency where government allocations and projects were announced.

It said while the ministers denied they were fishing for votes, “the timing of their generosity makes their justifications sound like lame excuses”.