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Sunday February 3, 2008

Ang pow and five oranges are not bribes, says MP

By CAROLYN OOI

PENANG: He used to give bags of rice with Gimme 5 logos pasted on them. Now, Bukit Bendera MP Datuk Seri Chia Kwang Chye has switched to oranges – five oranges each.

Yesterday, he was giving out mandarin oranges and ang pow to senior citizens at Rifle Range here.

“They (Parti Keadilan Rakyat) can make a police report but there is nothing wrong in giving oranges and ang pow because the Chinese New Year is approaching.

“There just happens to be five oranges in each packet and Chinese New Year is only five days away,” he said at an event to honour senior citizens and the disabled at the Rifle Range 'A' Rukun Tetangga yesterday.

Gimme 5: Chia greeting senior citizens and the disabled at the Rifle Range during a Chinese New Year function yesterday.

Kebun Bunga assemblyman Quah Kooi Heong said the Rifle Range Rukun Tetangga 'A' sector had been organising the event for seven years.

“We want to make them happy because Chinese New Year is approaching,” he said.

Last week, the PKR lodged a police report at the Petani Road police station against Barisan Nasional leaders, Chia and Kebun Bunga assemblyman Quah Kooi Heong for allegedly “bribing” the voters in Rifle Range with the bags of rice.

The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) alleged that the number five was Barisan’s message to voters denoting a clean sweep of four state seats (Kebun Bunga, Tanjung Bunga, Air Putih and Pulau Tikus) and a parliamentary seat (Bukit Bendera).

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