BERA, Nov 11 — The allegation made by Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim that military personnel here have already cast their votes for the 15th general election (GE15) today and were paid to do so, is a lie and a malicious accusation against the Malaysian Armed Forces, caretaker prime minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

He said Anwar’s allegation had also tarnished the image of the security forces and insulted the military personnel not only in Bera, but also nationwide.

“The accusation that the military personnel were paid (to vote) is a malicious accusation. Do not insult them like that.

“I call on Anwar to retract the accusation and apologise, not to me, but to the military personnel who were accused of being paid to vote and everything,” he told reporters after attending the Moh Ngeteh programme with the Orang Asli community in Kampung Bongkok here today.

The caretaker prime minister said this in response to Anwar’s claim, which was published on a news portal, that he has credible evidence of illegal voting taking place today involving members of the Armed Forces, and that they voted in Bera and were paid RM300.

Ismail Sabri, however, did not refute the possibility that the military personnel cast their ballots as postal voters, saying that “under the Election Commission Act, there are categories of postal voters, early voters and normal voters.”

The Election Commission has set November 15 for early voting and November 19 for polling. — Bernama