PETALING JAYA: A former principal private secretary to Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin has taken an apparent swipe at PAS election director Sanusi Nor, who yesterday chastised Bersatu leaders for relying on PAS’s resources during elections.
In a Facebook post today, Marzuki Mohamad said PAS faced no major issues with election expenditure during the 15th general election, as it used election machinery paid for by Bersatu.
“Bersatu also gave no small amount of funds to PAS. As a result, PAS won 43 parliamentary seats, the most in PAS’s 70 years in Malaysian politics.
“This is the reality. Aid in terms of equipment and funding was given by Bersatu to PAS, which I believe Sanusi himself knows,” he said.
Yesterday, Sanusi said at the PAS muktamar that campaigning for one parliamentary seat may now cost up to RM1 million, and warned that defending existing seats was even harder than winning them.
He also said it was frustrating when certain candidates – ostensibly those from Bersatu – relied on PAS-provided equipment without contributing financially.
“You want to be a leader but have no money or machinery? Don’t make us bring that up.
“Those of you who don’t contribute money and have no equipment, you might as well hang up your batik and sarong,” he said.
Marzuki said the RM1 million figure quoted by Sanusi was the “bare minimum”, and that the figure would be higher if one was truly serious about winning an election.
“This figure depends on the varying number of voters, the size of the parliamentary constituency, and logistical needs. In Sabah and Sarawak, it would be higher due to the higher logistical costs,” he said.
He said the costs included the production of campaign materials and advertisements, as well as training and funding election workers, transporting voters, and managing war rooms.
“Elections cost a lot, no matter which parties are running,” he said.