Maria Chin Abdullah, who served as Bersih 2.0 chair from 2013 to 2018, acknowledged the need for political parties to garner voter support, but said securing them through handouts is harmful.

Meanwhile, Thomas Fann, who now leads reforms NGO Projek Sama, fears it will threaten the democratic process.

Maria warned that turning a blind eye to the practice could result in leakages of public funds.

“(These leakages) will persist if the practice of doling out such benefits continues. If we want to eliminate them, then we have to stop this gifting culture,” she said.

Maria, who served as MP for Petaling Jaya between 2018 and 2022, said reform can only come about if all stakeholders are clear about the law and observe it.

She said Section 10 of the Election Offences Act 1954 makes it an offence for candidates or their agents to provide inducements to voters with the intention of influencing their decision.

Those convicted of the offence may be jailed for up to two years, and liable to a fine not exceeding RM5,000.

They will also become incapable of being registered as an elector, or of voting at an election for a period of five years. If already elected, they will lose their seat upon conviction.

However, Maria explained that handouts are not prohibited in times of crises, such as during a pandemic or natural disaster.

“That is acceptable, but not when it is in the context to gain political support,” she said.

‘Development politics’

In a recent episode of the Keluar Sekejap podcast last week, former Umno information chief Shahril Hamdan said politicians were finding it hard to move away from giving or promising goodies due to the electorate’s expectations.

Shahril said both the government and the opposition had engaged in the practice – which he called “development politics” – when campaigning for the recent Nenggiri state by-election as the strategy continues to be effective, especially in rural areas.

He said although the gifting culture appears to have reached a point where it may no longer win votes, it was still seen as a “licence to play”.

Sharil’s co-host, Khairy Jamaluddin, said dishing out goodies – whether in the form of instant noodles, promises to build bridges, or making available government helicopters and machinery for use at election campaigns – have all become “acceptable”.

‘You help me, I help you’

Fann, who led Bersih from 2018 to 2023, said electoral promises made when campaigning are legal as they are usually based on policies a candidate intends to pursue if elected.

However, they are not transactional and should not be normalised, he warned.

“This means it must be promised to all the voters in the constituency and not only to those who voted for the candidate,” he told FMT.

“On the other hand, bribery is a quid pro quo arrangement where candidates or their associates directly influence voters with material incentives,” he said, adding that it was premised on a “you help me, I help you” narrative.

Fann said the danger in normalising election bribery is that it undermines the country’s democratic process by subverting free and fair elections.

“Those who have the resources can buy votes and eventually political power,” he said.

Fann blamed the prevalence of the practice on a lack of enforcement by the authorities, particularly the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and the police.

“Enforcement of the Election Offences Act is needed. If politicians are convicted on a regular basis, such practices will go away,” he added.