Graft buster logs 22 campaign regulation violations among 80 complaints

The Commission Against Corruption (CCAC) announced that, as of Saturday, it had received over 80 complaints, with 22 cases formally investigated for violations of campaign regulations.

Ao Ieong Seong, Commissioner Against Corruption, informed the media that, among various complaint channels – including telephone, email, online reporting, and in-person submissions –the majority of reports were made online. These reports allege that certain individuals or groups expressed support for specific candidates.

According to Ao, the graft buster has recorded and followed up on these matters in accordance with the law, transferring the cases to the Electoral Affairs Commission for the Legislative Assembly Election (CAEAL).

She further stated that the CCAC launched a dedicated Clean Elections webpage on the first day of nominations, offering election information and various complaint channels.

Residents can report concerns through the online platform and upload relevant materials; however, she also encouraged in-person reporting for more effective and targeted monitoring and investigation.

“The CCAC maintains a rigorous confidentiality system, safeguarding both the content of complaints and the identities of complainants,” she assured residents.

As the campaign period commenced on Saturday, the commissioner emphasized that the CCAC will adjust its publicity content according to different election phases.

It will intensify inspections during upcoming election publicity activities to combat vote-buying. “We will permeate clean election information across all levels of society. In terms of election monitoring, we will strengthen inspection efforts, mobilize all personnel, and fully combat vote-buying,” she said.

Ao also reminded candidates and their supporters that campaign activities must not involve any connections to vested interests and must strictly comply with the Electoral Law and CAEAL’s guidelines.

Organizations and legal entities hosting welfare activities must also avoid any links to election campaigning, as doing so could constitute the crime of vote-buying.

According to the CCAC, as of Aug. 27, the reporting of campaign and welfare activities by associations, legal entities, and candidates had been completed in accordance with regulations. During this period, it received 67 reports from legal entities, involving 356 welfare activities, while candidates submitted 52 reports, covering 114 welfare activities in which they will participate.

“The CCAC will conduct inspections according to its work arrangements and comprehensively monitor relevant activities to ensure fair and transparent elections,” Ao reaffirmed.

The CCAC aims to raise public awareness of the Legislative Assembly elections through a combination of offline events and online promotions focused on the Election Ordinance and the risks of vote-buying.

Its five key activities over the past three months attracted nearly 10,000 residents.

Speaking to the media regarding the CCAC’s remarks on cases of alleged election irregularities, Seng Ioi Man, president of CAEAL, stated that some complaints did not pertain to campaign publicity or irregular activities.

He noted that some complaints arose from news reports during the submission of candidate lists, as well as statements made by candidates while fulfilling their social duties.

Seng noted that the number of cases involving premature campaigning is “relatively small.” Some cases referred by the CCAC have been filed, while others are still under investigation, with updates to be provided through appropriate channels.

The candidate list was finalized early Saturday morning, allowing all six groups of candidates to start posting their platforms and launching campaign promotions.

Seng described the atmosphere as “lively” but reminded candidates to take precautions when posting materials in residential buildings or shops.

“Permission and consent must be obtained from the owners or responsible parties of these premises,” he stated.

“Importantly, posters must not face the street, meaning they should not be visible from outdoors. Additionally, candidate groups are prohibited from using commercial advertising channels on any social media platforms for campaign promotions,” he emphasized, citing the CAEAL’s guidelines.