MIRI – The voices of Sarawakians calling on the Election Commission (EC) to fix January 2 as the polling date for the 12th state election is gaining swift momentum.
Contrary to an early polling date sought by the ruling Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), demands are growing from the public that the EC not fix the election this year.
A key concern is that Undi18, which would see the lowering of the voting age from 21 to 18, as well as automatic voter registration, will likely not come into effect until the end of the year.
According to senior lawyer Datuk Lawrence Lai, the EC must set January 2 as the date for polling for the election to be seen as truly fair and neutral.
The former Miri mayor and former Miri Advocates Association chairman told The Vibes that the EC cannot play politics or dance with any group of politicians.
He said he agreed with the reasons given by Sarawak PKR information chief Abun Sui on having the election on January 2.
Sui had said the date will still fall within the 60-day limit from the November 3 dissolution of the state assembly.
He also said the new voters under Undi18 and the automatic registration procedure will be able to exercise their rights to vote by then.
“I, as a citizen, voter and lawyer, call upon the EC to uphold its constitutional duties to be fair and independent and to allow Undi18 and automatically registered voters to vote in accordance with newly passed Undi18 and auto-registration laws,” Lai said.
The EC cannot render new laws to be redundant in mere window dressing for politicians to pay lip-service to supporting young voters to vote on the one hand, while on the other hand their actions say otherwise.”
Lai, who is former deputy chairman of the Sarawak Advocates Association, said the move by GPS to petition the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to lift the health emergency on November 3, which led to the immediate dissolution of the state assembly, has forced the EC to set the election within 60 days.
“It would appear to Sarawakians that GPS is more afraid of Undi18 voters than Covid-19, notwithstanding that Sarawak has suffered the highest coronavirus death rates for the last month,” he said
“And if the state election is held in November or December, not only would Undi18 voters be deprived of a chance to vote, it will most likely see the lowest turnout rate in Sarawak’s voting history.
“Maybe that is what GPS wants – a low voter turnout that will benefit it,” he claimed.
Lai said that under the current circumstances, January 2 would be the fairest date.
That date for polling will give more time for all contesting candidates to prepare, for the present voters and new voters to consider their choices, and for health authorities and the EC to determine safer measures to minimise the spread of Covid-19, he said.
The EC is expected to meet this week to deliberate on nomination and polling dates.
Bersih Sarawak chairman Ann Teo also told The Vibes that January 2 should be the best date.
“Any date for polling this year will deny more than 600,000 new Sarawakian voters from voting. That is unjust,” she said.
State assemblyman for Tg Batu, DAP’s Chiew Ching Sing, said January 2 is a fair date as it will allow new voters to exercise their democratic rights.
“Any date this year will see the new voters being sidelined. This is what GPS wants, so the EC should not cave in to GPS’ ploy,” he alleged.
Opposition Parti Sarawak Bersatu branch chairman for Pujut Bruce Chai said the date will allow the new voters to be included.
“Furthermore, at this point in time, the Delta variant is still very contagious, so it will be good to wait until January next year,” he said.
Native rights group Baram People’s Action Committee spokesman Philip Jau said the pandemic is still too aggressive, making it risky for polling at this stage.
“We should wait until January 2 as that will also allow the new voters to take part in the election,” he said. – The Vibes, November 8, 2021
