KUALA LUMPUR – The Batu Sapi seat should go to a Parti Warisan Sabah candidate uncontested, said DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang, pointing to the dangers of holding an election amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Iskandar Puteri MP, in a statement today, said election campaigning and crowds on polling day heighten the risk of spreading the coronavirus, as was seen in the September 26 Sabah vote.
This can be avoided by giving Batu Sapi to the party of its late MP Datuk Liew Vui Keong, who died of a lung infection on October 2.
“It will also be one way that Malaysians, and Sabahans, in particular, can honour the life and work of the late Datuk Liew Vui Keong, and all that he contributed to our nation.”
He voiced support for a proposal by Bar Council constitutional law committee co-chairman Andrew Khoo, who urged political parties to let Warisan retain the seat uncontested for the sake of public health and safety, and to maintain the status quo in Parliament amid the virus crisis.
“I fully agree with Andrew Khoo. The just-concluded Sabah election has caused a third wave of Covid-19 in Malaysia and turned Sabah into a hotspot state, whose borders will be closed from October 12 to 25. Travel is allowed only under special circumstances.
“The second wave was caused by the ‘Sheraton Move’ that resulted in a backdoor federal government in March. The third wave was caused by backdoor politicians masterminding the downfall of the Sabah government by engineering the dropping of all 46 corruption charges against a former chief minister, and the party-hopping of 13 assemblymen.
“Let Malaysia show the world that its political leaders are capable of learning from the mistakes of the past and can be inspirational examples to rally the people in a single-minded effort to win the war against Covid-19 by agreeing to allow a Warisan candidate to win Batu Sapi uncontested.
“The ball is now in Perikatan Nasional, Barisan Nasional and Parti Bersatu Sabah’s court.”
Sandakan MP Vivian Wong said she has been asked by concerned Sabahans whether a by-election will be held when coronavirus infections are soaring.
“People are worried that if a by-election is to be held soon, Covid-19 cases will spike once again, and voters who are simply discharging their duty as citizens may be blamed, again, for a fresh outbreak.
“I agree with Lim’s stance that a Warisan candidate should take the seat uncontested for the sake of voters’ health and safety.”
The Election Commission yesterday declared the Batu Sapi seat vacant, and Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun said it must be filled within 60 days, in line with Article 54(1) of the federal constitution. – The Vibes, October 7, 2020
