SEREMBAN: Independent candidate Malar Rajaram has lodged a police report over an incident where PKR's candidate Dr S. Streram was seen at five Rantau schools where food coupons worth RM75,000 were handed out to 300 underprivileged primary schoolchildren.

PKR's Miri MP Dr Michael Teo Yu gave the coupons allegedly at the request of Dr Streram.

Malar said this was a clear election offence, and she decided to take action since no one else involved in the Rantau by-election seemed keen to act on the matter.

"I don't think Barisan or Pakatan will make any police report. Waking up this morning, I realised that it was my responsibility to make the report.

"Even the Election Commission (EC) has encouraged individuals to come forward with a police report," she told reporters outside the Seremban district police headquarters on Thursday morning (April 4).

Malar also urged the five schools involved to return the food coupons by Monday (April 8).

"If not, I will return to the police station and make a report against all five schools for taking contributions from a political party during an election," said the 51-year-old former radio host.

The five schools involved were SJKC Sin Min Kuala Sawah, SJKT Ladang Kombok, SJKT Rantau, SK Sendayan and SK Siliau.

The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih 2.0) had earlier called out Teo over the food coupons.

Bersih 2.0 also said it believed Teo had committed the election offence of treating.

Meanwhile, Teo was quoted as saying that he had earlier carried out a similar programme in his constituency and decided to bring it to Rantau at Dr Streram's request.

The April 13 polls will see a four-cornered fight between Pakatan's Dr Streram, Barisan's Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan and independent candidates Malar and Mohd Nor Yassin.

The Rantau by-election was triggered following a Federal Court decision to uphold an earlier ruling by the Election Court to nullify the results for Rantau.

In GE14, Umno deputy president Mohamad won the state seat unopposed after Dr Streram was denied entry to submit his nomination papers because he did not have a tag or a pass.

Election Court judge Azimah Omar allowed Dr Streram's petition for a by-election on the grounds that Mohamad's election victory was not valid.

The Rantau polls is the seventh by-election post-GE14, and the third to be held in 2019 after Cameron Highlands and Semenyih.