KUCHING, Oct 7 — A founder of Sarawak For Sarawak (S4S) civil movement Alexander Leong Shaow Tung today urged the ruling Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government not to call for the 12th state election this year as its mandate only expires on June 7 next year.
“With the recent spike in Covid-19 cases mainly due to the Sabah snap election held last month, a Sarawak state election this year runs the risk of being a super-spreader event.
“The Sarawak government must put the people’s interest and welfare above politics,” Leong said when responding to Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Openg’s recent statement that the state election could be held at any time.
State Education, Science and Technological Research Minister Datuk Sri Michael Manyin had also indicated that the Sarawak Legislative Assembly could be dissolved next month to pay the way for the state election early next year.
Leong said an election this year in the midst of an epidemic will also deter senior citizens from going out to vote and prevent many Sarawakians who work in Singapore, Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah to come home to vote.
He added this would then be denying them their democratic right to choose their government.
Leong has been picked by Sarawak People’s Aspiration Party (Aspirasi) as its potential candidate for Batu Lintang, a semi-urban constituency in Kuching.
Separately, Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak Baru (PBDSB) said the current political stability in the state is seen as a good reason for Abang Johari Openg not to call for the state election this year.
Its treasurer-general Sai Malaka said now is not the time for the GPS government to seek a new mandate when the country is facing the surge in the Covid — 19 cases.
“The chief minister should wait as the current term of the State Legislative Assembly expires in June next year,” Sai said.
He stressed that calling for the election this year would likely see a further hike in the number of Covid-19 cases as could be seen in Sabah which recently held its state election.
He also called on the state government and the Ministry of Health to organise seminars in the longhouses and villages on the standard operating procedures (SOPs) to curb the spread of the virus before the state election is held.
