Police investigating racial sentiments claims during campaigning

The Attorney General's Chambers (AGC) said police were investigating reports against political leaders who allegedly raised racial issues in their campaigns during the 13th general election.

AGC prosecution chief Abdul Wahab Mohamed however, did not name the alleged leaders, as the cases were still under investigation.

"It is not appropriate for us to reveal their identity. We have never disclosed the names of politicians or political leaders involved in any investigation until they are charged," he said in a press conference here Thursday.

Abdul Wahab said the AGC received 327 police reports on offences allegedly committed by Election Commission (EC) officers on polling day.

Among the complaints were that the indelible ink used during the general election could be easily washed off, that observers were asked by the polling officer to leave the polling centre for 30 minutes after the voting process had ended and before the vote-counting process began.

Some of the reports also alleged that names of voters who had cast their ballots via post were still in the electoral list, that voters who came to cast their ballots found their names already crossed out in the electoral list, that EC workers marked the ballot papers before handing them to voters to place inside the ballot boxes, he said.

Abdul Wahab said four people would be charged in the Magistrate's Court in Telok Datok, Banting and Klang tomorrow for election offences.

He said a man would be charged in the Telok Datok Magistrate's Court for obstructing a police officer from carrying out his duties.

Two men would be charged in the Klang Magistrate's Court for participating in a riot and possession of weapons (iron rod and crash helmet) while another man would be charged with causing mischief by breaking the glass screen of a bus that belonged to Cityliner Sdn Bhd, he added.