KUALA LUMPUR — Veteran opposition figure Lim Kit Siang yesterday cried foul over the Barisan Nasional’s (BN) campaign tactics and urged the Election Commission to take action against the ruling coalition, after a BN-linked group reportedly gave out roast pork and beer, among other freebies, in opposition-held Penang.

At a press conference at the Democratic Action Party (DAP) headquarters, Mr Lim also lashed out at the BN and its main component party, the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), for accusing him of being the perpetrator of the May 13, 1969 race riots in its campaign pamphlets distributed in Gelang Patah, Johor.

Mr Lim pointed out that he was in Sabah at the time of the riots and that he had in 1971 called for a royal commission of inquiry into the incident. He also challenged former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad to clear the air on the issue.

“Why are UMNO and BN so extremist and want to tear the country apart to win the election?” he said.

“I hope this election will put the spectre of May 13 to rest, once and for all,” he added, referring to the bloody racial clashes that marked a dark point in the country’s history.

Turning the tables on UMNO, Mr Lim called on Dr Mahathir to clear the air, after ex-UMNO strongman Tamrin Abdul Ghafar said at opposition rallies that the riot was caused by a “mini-coup” orchestrated by UMNO leaders, including Dr Mahathir.

Mr Lim also criticised the BN’s “money politics”, referring to a Chinese newspaper report on a 1Malaysia group distributing roast pork, a thousand crates of beer and lucky draw forms in George Town on Monday evening.

He said: “We have a situation (where) in the whole of Penang, for more than a week before Polling Day, (residents are) going to have free makan, free drinks, free beers, free entertainment and ... lucky draws. The prizes are becoming more attractive — from mobile telephones to motorbikes … imagine money being thrown around.”

Also calling on the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to investigate the BN, Mr Lim said: “They (the Election Commission) cannot close their eyes. This is open corruption. Of course, the BN parties will say this is not by them, this is by 1Malaysia brotherhood.”

“If SPRM cannot do anything to stop such corruption, SPRM is totally useless,” he added, referring to the MACC by its Malay acronym.

Mr Lim said the BN’s campaign tactics make “a total mockery of what this election is all about” and was also a “total breach” of the Transparency International pledge which the BN had signed.

But he said the DAP was unfazed. “We are very delighted because never before have the people of Penang had such a long-standing treat ... And I urge (residents) to make full use of (the freebies),” he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Lim reiterated his call for a clean campaign in Gelang Patah, where he is contesting against caretaker Johor Mentri Besar Abdul Ghani Othman.

“Let’s make Gelang Patah an example of a gentlemanly, clean, free, fair election campaign. No lies, no falsehood, no character assassination, no politics of money, no race card, no religious card,” he said.

Mr Lim said that the opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PR) is targeting a win of 33 federal seats in Johor, Sabah and Sarawak, including 12 in the southern peninsula state. He also added that the PR was aiming to win 125 out of 222 federal seats at stake, with Parti Keadilan Rakyat having the most at 45 seats, and the DAP and Parti Islam SeMalaysia having 40 seats each.

“No one party will be dominant,” he said. WITH AGENCIES