KUCHING – The Election Commission’s (EC) announcement today that the 12th Sarawak polls will be held on December 18, with nomination set on December 6, is causing jitters among politicians and activists who fear that public health guidelines might not be issued in time.
Parti Sarawak Baru presidential council member Baru Bian told The Vibes that the standard operating procedures and all other guidelines must be released to candidates, party workers, and election agents immediately and with clarity.
“It should not be like how it happened during the Melaka election. The SOPs lacked clarity and were not clearly spelled out, resulting in confusion among the people who were involved.
“There must be a balance between safety and democracy. That means very stringent SOPs to intentionally restrict campaigning might not serve justice, as we are holding this election in the shadow of a global pandemic,” he said.
Lawyer and activist Voon Shiak Ni urged the EC to release their SOPs soon so that parties can formulate their campaigning work in line with the requirements.
“Everyone, including opposition and independent candidates, must be issued public health guidelines on how to conduct themselves well on the nomination and polling days.
“The EC must see to it that ample time is given for them to familiarise themselves and their party workers with the guidelines.
“I am also worried about the possibility of a new wave of Covid-19 clusters as warned by Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin and Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.
“The admission to intensive care unit wards in some states is already approaching 80% as reported in Johor and Labuan.
“I wish everyone, especially aspiring candidates and their campaign teams, to take extra precautions while campaigning.
“I am also of the opinion that campaigning for the Sarawak election should go virtual amid the pandemic, as was done in Singapore last year for their national election,” she added.
According to Sarawak People’s Aspiration Party (Aspirasi) president Lina Soo, 1.2 million voters need to be informed of the guidelines and SOPs for nomination and polling day.
“The voters need to be fully informed to make prudent decisions on choosing a new government, and the terrain of Sarawak makes this a challenging task when political parties are given constraints on reaching voters.
“The EC must announce the SOPs and guidelines as soon as possible so we can plan our campaigns in order to comply,” said Soo.
She also said all political parties should have access to mainstream media, with broadcasting time to articulate their aspirations for the future of Sarawak.
“The authorities must not take advantage of the Covid-19 pandemic to suppress political parties or deny them the space to meet voters face-to-face in a safe manner.
“SOPs that burden small parties and deny them a fair and free election must not be set,” she added.
Pujut Aspirasi candidate Fong Pau Teck said he hopes the guidelines will be released early.
“I am afraid that if they are released late, candidates may not be able to plan out their campaign rosters effectively.
“I hope the SOPs will not be overly stringent and make it difficult for the candidates to campaign,” he added.
Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak president Bobby William also called for the early release of the guidelines.
“I also hope the guidelines and SOPs will not be unfair and overly stringent on certain parties or candidates. This is supposed to be a fair and free election,” he said. – The Vibes, November 24, 2021
