Video Shows Bersatu Youth Chief Hopeful Promising Support Letters For Votes

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Campaigning for the Bersatu polls appears to be heating up with the video of a youth wing chief hopeful, Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal, being leaked on social media, purportedly showing him promising to leverage on his position in the government and party to issue support letters in exchange for votes
"How (can I help?), I can issue support letters as a deputy minister, as the youth chief and I can make a copy to Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to strengthen (the support letters)
"That is using one's position. Positions are given to help make things easier for you. It is not for me alone. But to help you, help me too
"Firstly, vote for me," he appeared to say in the video
Malaysiakini has reached out to Wan Fayhsal (above) for comment on the video but he has yet to respond at the time of writing
The deputy youth and sports minister will face off with incumbent Bersatu Youth exco Mohd Muzzammil Ismail in the party polls next month
The position became vacant after pro-tem Bersatu Youth chief Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman was expelled from the party for siding with a group of party rebels led by Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad
Giving an example, Wan Fayhsal was seen in the video saying that if there were Bersatu Youth members interested in agriculture in Pahang, he could arrange the formation of a "consortium"
"We will meet with (Agriculture and Food Industries Minister) Ronald Kiandee and let him know Pahang Bersatu Youth's desire. 'Help us datuk'
"As a deputy minister, and God-willing, as the national Youth chief, I can make things easier," he said to what appeared to be Bersatu Youth grassroots members in the video
The election for the youth wing is expected to take place on Sept 27
Wan Fayhsal was formerly a special officer to Syed Saddiq when the latter was the youth and sports minister but sided with the new Perikatan Nasional government after the Pakatan Harapan government collapsed in late February
Syed Saddiq sided with Mahathir who refused to join the new government
The video has since courted criticism from the opposition as evidence that Bersatu was perpetrating the culture of the previous BN government which was ousted after 61 years in power in the 2018 general election amid claims of grand corruption
"They are abusing their position even before they have won and doing it openly with their supporters," said PKR's Kota Anggerik assemblyperson Mohd Najwan Halimi
Meanwhile, DAP's Batu Kawan MP Kasthuriraani Patto said she would never do what Wan Fayhsal promised his supporters
"I had never issued a support letter throughout my political career since becoming an MP in 2013 until today. Support letters are a BN culture which we are against as it leads to abuse of power
"In the past, support letters are used as a shortcut to bypass legitimate procedures," she said. - Mkini

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