DAP calls on Mahathir to ground the government executive jet and not to use it for Barisan Nasional election campaign purpose - which is a gross abuse of government resources


Media Statement
by Lim Kit Siang
 

(Petaling Jaya,  Monday): DAP calls on the Auditor-General, Datuk Mohamed Khalil, to conduct a special audit to ensure that there is no misuse of public funds and abuse of government facilities in the tenth general election, whether by the caretaker Prime Minister,  Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad  or by any other caretaker Minister in the Barisan Nasional election campaign to seek support from the 9.6 million voters.

Mahathir should realise that it is none of the business of the caretaker Prime Minister of Malaysia to campaign for votes for the Barisan Nasional in the general election, and there must be a clear distinction between his two positions, one as caretaker  Prime Minister  of the country and the other as head of Barisan Nasional.

If Mahathir goes around the country during the election campaign to seek votes for Barisan Nasional by using public funds and government resources, this is a gross misappropriation of public fuinds and government resources, which must be stopped by the Auditor-General.  It is also a corrupt electoral practice and an election offence.

Tomorrow, Mahathir will begin to travel to the various states to campaign for the Barisan Nasional, starting with Kota Kinabalu tomorrow afternoon, Bintulu  tomorrow night, Johore on Wednesday afternoon, Selangor the same night, Terengganu on Thursday morning, Kelantan in the  afternoon, Kuantan  at  night, Seremban on Friday morning, Malacca in the afternoon and Ipoh at night, Penang on Saturday morning, Perlis in the afternoon and Kedah at night.

I understand that Mahathir will travel by the government executive jet recently bought for the Prime Minister in  his nation-wide election campaign. This  is a gross abuse of public resources and facilities.  The government executive  jet can be used by Mahathir as caretaker Prime Minister but definitely not by him as Barisan Nasional Chairman to go to the various states on  his election round-up to drum up voter support for the Barisan Nasional.

The former Indian Prime Minister, Indira Gandi used a government helicopter during an Indian general election campaign and the Indian High  Court declared her election null and void because of misuse of government resources, which tantamout to an election offence.

While calling on the Auditor-General to set up a special audit to ensure that the caretaker Prime Minister and caretaker Ministers do not abuse public funds and government resources for party political ends during the general election campaign, I call on Mahathir to set a good example of clean, honest and fair election campaigning by grounding the government executive jet from any Barisan Nasional election use.

(22/11/99)


*Lim Kit Siang - DAP Secretary-General, Parliamentary Candidate for Bukit Bendera and State Assembly candidate for Kebun Bunga