Statement by DAP Organising Secretary and Parliamentary Candidate for Bandar Melaka, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, at a Press Conference on Monday 14th April 1969 at 9.45 p.m.
The Alliance has started its campaign to buy votes in Bandar Melaka. From reliable sources, I understand that the Alliance and the MCA have set aside $100,000 for this purpose, allocating $20,000 for each state constituency for Bandar Melaka.
Many voters have been offered $10 to vote for the Alliance, with the promise that if the Alliance wins, they will be given another $10. This is clearly meant as an incentive for them to vote for the Alliance to get another $10.
For areas which are known to be pro-DAP, the Alliance operators are offering $20 in exchange for their identity cards, which the Alliance people say will be returned to the owners after polling day. The intention was to prevent them for voting the DAP on May 10.
I must warn voters of Bandar Melaka never to allow Alliance agents to take away their identity cards. This is because if the Alliance loses on May 10, despite their $100,000 spent on buying votes, they may get so angry and frustrated and desperate, that they are likely to burn and destroy all the identity cards in their possession. This will cause untold hardship and in convenience who give up their identity cards for $20.
The Alliance are directing their attack on women voters, believing that they could more easily deceived.
I urge the voters and people of Bandar Melaka to be vigilant and not to be fooled by the Alliance campaign, and help explain to the women voters why they should not be misled by the sweet-words and monetary offer of the Alliance,.
Under the circumstances should any voter surrender his identity card for any amount of money. However, if the Alliance offers money without demanding for the identity card, then just pocket the money and on May 10, vote for the Rocket. The Alliance wouldn’t know, because voting is secret.
The Alliance machinery has developed vote-buying into a fine-art. I ask the Anti- Corruption Agency to thoroughly investigate into this matter.
But the best way to defeat Alliance trick is for the people to trick Alliance, take Alliance money and vote the DAP Rocket.