Kuala lumpur: The practice of offering bribes to voters during the 16th Negeri Sembilan State Election campaign must be rejected and should not be allowed to occur, said Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that any party found to be involved in such activities should face investigation and appropriate action by the authorities.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Dr Ahmad Zahid stated that if evidence and witnesses support the allegations, the matter will be handed over to the Election Commission (EC) and the police for further investigation. "I believe this should not have happened, especially if it was carried out by a competent party. We must reject such practices," he asserted during a press conference after officiating the closing ceremony of the Jelajah Pendidikan Tinggi dan TVET MARA Negeri Sembilan 2026 program. The event was attended by Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir and Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) chairman Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki.

The issue gained attention after a claim went viral on social media, alleging that a political party had offered bribes to voters in an attempt to secure votes during the Negeri Sembilan state polls. This has led to increased scrutiny and calls for transparency as the election approaches.

Meanwhile, Negeri Sembilan police chief Datuk Alzafny Ahmad announced that three investigation papers were opened yesterday, bringing the total number of investigation papers for election offences since the campaign began on July 18 to 19. Among these, one investigation involves an offence under Section 11 of the Election Offences Act 1954 for committing bribery.

With polling scheduled for this Saturday, authorities and political parties are under pressure to ensure a fair and transparent election process.