KUCHING: Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) president Voon Lee Shan (pic)has been questioned by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) over a pledge in the party’s manifesto to give RM3,000 to all voters if it wins the state election.

       Voon said he was stopped by four MACC officers as he was driving to Kenyalang Park for a campaign event at 8.30am yesterday and ordered to head to the Kuching MACC office.

       Voon added that he was questioned for four hours there over the RM3,000 pledge contained in the party manifesto themed “PBK Passport to Prosperity, Freedom and Independence”.

       “The ‘passport’ is a very powerful tool and I did nothing wrong,” he said when contacted.

       Voon, who is the PBK candidate for the Batu Lintang seat, explained that he was being investigated by the MACC under Section 16 of the MACC 2009 Act, which covers offences in relation to bribery and the acceptance of bribes.

       On the MACC saying that it had been trying to get in touch with him many times over the matter, Voon merely replied: “Yes.”

       PBK is contesting 73 of the 82 seats in the state polls in its quest to seek independence for Sarawak.

       Voon had earlier claimed in a video posted on Facebook that he was arrested by the MACC, which the anti-graft agency denied.

       The MACC said its officers had tried multiple times to contact Voon but failed.

       It also said that Voon was served a notice to appear and cooperate with the MACC as required under Section 30(1)(a) of the MACC Act.

       Other pledges in the PBK manifesto include the provision of free education to students at government tertiary institutions and deposit subsidies for first-time home buyers.

       Voon is locked in a five-cornered fight in Batu Lintang against its two-term former assemblyman See Chee How, Gabungan Parti Sarawak’s Sih Hua Tong, Sarawak’s People Aspiration party candidate Leong Shaw Tong and PKR’s 24-year-old candidate Cherishe Ng.