MIRI – Sarawak PKR has called on the Election Commission (EC) not to fix any dates or standard operating procedures (SOPs) for its 12th election without first consulting the opposition parties.
The party’s vice-president Dr Michael Teo Yu Keong chaired a meeting of the state’s PKR leadership council to discuss the matter with information chief Abun Sui, senior party leaders, and several potential candidates.
Later, Abun told a press conference that the state PKR has written an official request seeking an urgent meeting with the EC top brass in Sarawak and Putrajaya.
“The EC cannot and must not ignore and black-out the opposition when it comes to setting the dates for nomination and polling. They cannot push us aside when it comes to setting SOPs for campaigning.
“We know the EC teams had met with the ruling Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS). Until now, the EC has not set a meeting with us in PKR or with Pakatan Harapan Sarawak. We want an immediate meeting with the EC.
“The EC must be fair and just to all parties on both political divides, as well as independents or independent parties,” he said.
Abun said Sarawak PKR has learned that EC will ban all physical campaigns and ground movement in Sarawak during the coming polls.
He questioned why the GPS incumbent assembly representatives are still allowed to go around meeting constituents.
“The EC cannot side with GPS just because it is the ruling caretaker government. The EC must be neutral. Meet us too and listen and consider our views,” he said, adding that the commission must meet all opposition parties without delay.
PKR had also sent a request to caretaker Chief Minister Datuk Abang Johari Openg to set January 2 for polling, not any date this year. – The Vibes, November 12, 2021
