KUALA LUMPUR: Money politics did not work during the recent Umno polls due a large number of delegates involved, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim.
“Over 146,500 cast their votes then. If it were to happen a candidate would have pay 60 per cent of them or about 75,000 delegates to secure a victory,” he told a news conference at Parliament House yesterday.
Shahidan, who retained supreme council seat in the party election, said a candidate would have to spend millions of ringgit to buy his victory.
“If he were to fork out RM100 for each 75,000 delegates, he had to spent RM7.5 million. It is impossible that Umno candidates are that rich.
“If I have that kind of money I would rather give it to welfare homes for single mothers or orphanages,” he retorted when asked to comment on the possibility of some candidates were voted into office due to money politics during the Umno polls. — Bernama