KUALA LUMPUR – Is Christmas coming early for Sarawak folk with a looming state election next month?
It is likely that the 12th Sarawak Election could be held on the weekend of December 18 and 19 – one week before Christmas.
According to Election Commission (EC) insiders, these are the most probable dates as the EC does not have much wriggle room left since the state polls need to be held by January 3, 2022.
“With a special meeting on the Sarawak polls being held only on November 24, the EC does not have many options for polling days left,” said the insider.
The expectations are that – based on previous elections – there will be goodies galore in the form of infrastructure projects – house repairs, roads and bridges for the electorate.
A RM9 billion development budget announced last year and another RM10 billion for 2022 will surely come in handy.
However, with the holiday season, there is the added prospect of Santa’s bag of goodies to entice voters.
The EC and watchdog groups such as Bersih and Undi18 will not have it easy being observers in a state election with so many isolated constituencies in the country’s largest state (at 125,000 sq km).
What more with a pandemic that could see standard operating procedures (SOPs) preventing campaigning and crowds. On top of this, the rainy season could see state-owned machinery being used on the grounds of rendering aid.
Sarawak’s poor internet connectivity will put rural communities at a disadvantage for lack of information on candidates.
“It is unlikely that the EC will discard usual norms and fast-track the elections especially as it needs to take into consideration Covid-19 SOPs,” said an EC official.
This, he said, means nomination day could be mid-week between December 6 and 9 – if the EC is to allow a minimum 11 to 13-day period for polling.
“December 18 and 19 are the dates being discussed as the following weekend is Christmas while the weekend after that is already the New Year,” he said.
EC secretary Datuk Ikmalrudin Ishak in a statement had said that the meeting in Kuching on November 24 will begin at 9am and will be chaired by EC chairman Datuk Abdul Ghani Salleh.
“It will discuss the important dates for the election,” he said, adding that these include the date of the election writ, nomination day, polling day as well as the electoral roll.
“With all these to consider, and how big the state of Sarawak is, it is likely that it will be held before Christmas as the state is predominantly Christian,” he added.
The dates discussed will also take into consideration postal voting, which occurs within a week of the election and to enable Sarawakians in Peninsular Malaysia who wish to return home to vote.
However, the trend shows that those taking the trouble to return home, are not voting for the incumbent Gabungan Parti Sarawak government.
“The EC usually would like a five-week period to organise the elections for a state like Sarawak but now the most they have is three weeks,” said the EC source.
Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah had consented to the lifting of Sarawak’s Emergency Proclamation on November 3, paving the way for the state election.
The term of the current state government had expired on June 6 but due to the pandemic, the emergency was proclaimed until February 2 next year, to prevent a state election that was feared would exacerbate the pandemic.
Following the lifting of the emergency, caretaker chief minister Datuk Abang Johari Openg on November 5 announced that the Sarawak legislative assembly was dissolved effective November 3.
In any case, expectations are there, that there will be something under the Christmas tree for Sarawakians this Yuletide season. – The Vibes, November 13, 2021
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