EXCLUSIVE SANDAKAN: Banks here are reporting withdrawals of large sums of money of between RM500,000 and RM1 million since two days ago as voters in Batu Sapi decide which way to cast their ballots tomorrow.
Those in the know said “towkays” were withdrawing large sums of cash and some banks here have been unable to facilitate such large withdrawals due to technicalities. According to banking sources, Bank Negara Malaysia has to be notified in some instances.
The the talk in town is that money started flowing into the water village settlements yesterday. Some estimate that up to RM5 million cash has been withdrawn from local banks in the past 72 hours.
According to a taxi driver, they (taxi drivers) are being given RM250 each and ordinary voters are getting RM150 each. The money is supposed to be for food, transport and logistics.
Those identified as “get-out-the-vote” organisers were reportedly given RM200 and they are expected to bring voters to the polling stations tomorrow.
Several people said that they were promised RM100 to RM150 more as they cast their ballots.
This afternoon, a huge crowd gathered at the MCA operation centre here after talk spread that the party was giving “handouts” and groups of voters have been circulating around town this evening as word spreads that this or that group is handing out cash.
However, as the excitement spread, some who said they received RM150 were disappointed as they were told that they would be given RM400.
SMSs are now floating around asking voters to go to opposition centres and even hotels to collect their money and food.
Higher turnout forecast
Meanwhile, the Election Commission is expecting a higher voter turnout tomorrow in the Batu Sapi parliamentary by-election and predicted it would be about 75% compared with 63% in 2008.
This piece of news did not go down well with opposition campaigners who said a prediction of a higher voter turnout means that voters from outside the Batu Sapi constituency would be coming in.
Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who arrived here today, gave a final rallying call to voters to chose their candidates wisely.
He ended a campaign speech for the Barisan Nasional candidate Linda Tsen with a few barbs at opposition candidates Yong Teck Lee of the Sabah Progressive Party and Ansari Abdullah of PKR.
He also dismissed the opposition's election campaign issues as “outdated”.
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