KUCHING, Jan 6 — Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg has hinted that the 12th Sarawak state election will not be held in the near future.
The Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) chairman said the deadline for the state election to be held is next year.
“What is the hurry (to hold the election)? The term ends in 2021, so it will be in 2021,” he told reporters at Wisma Bapa here today.
He said the GPS machinery was on standby mode and ever-ready to go ‘into battle’ at anytime.
The 11th Sarawak state election was held on May 7, 2016 and the deadline for the next state election is July, 2021.
However, going by past records, the Sarawak state election has always been held a year earlier than the end of its term.
During the state election in 2016, four Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties from Sarawak won 72 state legislative assembly seats.
On June 12, 2018, the four component parties — Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP), the Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), and the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) — announced they were leaving BN, following the coalition’s fall in the 14th general election.
At present, Pakatan Harapan is represented in the Sarawak state legislative assembly by 10 seats, comprising seven members from DAP while three more are from PKR. — Bernama
