KUCHING – Sarawak has entered perpetual campaign mode as new faces and new parties or coalitions aspire to take power in the state, while the old guard remains intent on battling for another term, even as Covid-19 infections and mortalities soar.
Recent statements issued by some politicians betray subtle hints of an impatient push for the next state elections.
As August 1 – the date set for the end of the national state of emergency declared in January – draws nearer, initiatives by parties to be in voters’ good books have also leapt a notch higher.
Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri James Masing last Sunday fired the first salvo, hinting that the state government will hold the polls soon. “Unless the Agong or governor says otherwise, the state elections will be held within 60 days from August 1 when the emergency ends,” he declared.
Masing is the president of Parti Rakyat Sarawak, one of the four component parties in the ruling Gabungan Parti Sarawak coalition (GPS).
On Tuesday, Mulu assemblyman Datuk Gerawat Gala proclaimed that the “Orang Ulu will fully support GPS in the 12th state elections”, another hint coming from a member of the ruling coalition that election fever is in the air.
Gerawat said: “The Orang Ulu community will pledge their full support for the GPS government under the leadership of Datuk Abang Johari Openg during the 12th state elections.”
The polls will see 1.26 million registered voters out of a population of 2.82 million go to the ballot box. Only 63.63% of eligible Sarawakians are registered voters and will be able to vote in the elections. Registered voters constitute just 44.68% of the total population in the state. A total of 1.98 million Sarawakians are aged 21 and above.
‘No, not another Sabah-like cluster’
“Nobody wants another Sabah-like (Covid-19) cluster arising from a state election. We saw the effect of allowing people to enter and leave the state without any restrictions or quarantine measures during the Sabah polls.
“With elections, we know for sure that GPS will want to leverage on the federal machinery for its political agenda and this means an influx of people in and out,” said DAP’s Michael Kong.
He told The Vibes that Sarawakians are unable to put any hope in the government’s ability to contain any further spread of Covid-19 infections.
“They have failed consistently for the past year even during lockdowns. So how are we to feel safe that there will not be another major cluster due to the 12th state elections? We have also seen how standard operating procedures (SOPs) have been flouted, not by the general public, but VIPs, and this is what has caused the mess we face today,” said the special assistant to state DAP chief Chong Chieng Jen.
Parti Aspirasi president Lina Soo when contacted said: “No, we do not want to replicate Sabah’s mistake. An election can be a ‘superspreader’ event. We should save lives first. Let us contain the Covid-19 situation first before we go for an election.”
She pointed out that holding an election any time now would mean many people, especially the elderly, will not come out to vote.
“Outstation Sarawakians too will have to return to the state, causing too much movement of people everywhere. And most people will not even want to take the risk to go to the polling booths. It will not be a fair and free election then. Lives before politics. This is what matters now,” she added.
However, Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) has a different take. Its president Bobby William told The Vibes that it is not proper to compare a Sarawak state election with what happened during the Sabah polls. He said during the Sabah election none of the population was vaccinated yet.
“Today, a certain percentage of the population in the country has already been vaccinated. Only those who are not vaccinated are fully exposed to risk of infection. The situation is slightly different though the risk is there. We need to follow an enhanced SOP,” he said.
“If other countries can hold elections during the pandemic, why can’t we? It is up to the government to decide,” he said.
‘Best interests of people first’
“This is the time to choose our priorities carefully. While it is understandable that GPS might feel the pressure to seek a fresh mandate from the people, they should make a decision based on given data and information available.
“With less than 60% of the population in the the state fully vaccinated with two doses and with the jury still out on the risks posed by the variants, it makes sense to prioritise the lives and livelihoods of the people over seeking a fresh political mandate,” said DAP’s Bukit Assek assemblyman Irene Chang.
She said the state should show that they are placing the best interests of the people above all, including their own political interests.
Ba’Kelalan assemblyman Baru Bian said: “We must balance the legal rights and constitutional rights of the people to choose a new government with the right to life, which is being threatened by the pandemic. Obviously, I agree that we can’t afford a repeat of what happened in Sabah.”
“If I were the government of the day, I would wait until the end of August and assess the situation to ensure that at least 80% of Sarawakians have been vaccinated,” he said. “I would also monitor the number of cases, notably if the infectivity rate has dropped significantly to below 1 and the trend (of infections) is going down, and put very stringent SOPs on campaigning.
“If I do not see these happening by the end of August, I would request for a ‘limited emergency’ for the state for at least three months and then assess the situation again, to see if it is safe to hold the state elections,” he said.
Another politician, Parti Bumi Kenyalang president Voon Lee Shan, said that the lives of citizens are more important than elections, and no sensible and responsible politician would press for elections at this time.
“Elections should not in the current situation be held within 60 days although the state assembly has already been dissolved. It should be next year or when the Covid-19 virus is wiped out because all of us must help the government fight this pandemic,” said Voon.
“We have seen daily (national) caseloads reaching close to 20,000 per day now, and if they cannot be controlled, this figure can easily shoot to 30,000 or even 40,000 per day.
“The possibility is there because we don’t have enough doctors, medical staff, medicines, and equipment to fight this pandemic. So let us not impatiently push for the state elections to be held anytime now as it would be disastrous.”
Localised emergency as a stopgap
Echoing the thoughts of Baru Bian, Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii suggested the implementation of a “localised emergency” for Sarawak and electoral reforms, one of which should be an 80% vaccination rate of the population prior to holding elections.
“This is in view of the current emergency being officially lifted on August 1, resulting in Sarawak constitutionally needing to hold an election within 60 days of the revocation.”
He said having a conventional election this year would be disastrous as the health fallout caused by the Sabah elections in mid-September last year showed when it sparked a third wave of infections all around the country.
“Even as we push to accelerate our vaccination drive to achieve the targeted 80% immunity in Sarawak by August 2021, we must also not forget to protect the rights of our fellow Sarawakians living outside Sarawak who also have every right to exercise their democratic rights to vote.
“Even if an election is called when 80% of our population in Sarawak is vaccinated, the 14-day quarantine requirement for those travelling into Sarawak should still be in place as other states may not have achieved the required herd immunity by then. This will hinder Sarawakians living outside of Sarawak from coming back to exercise their right to vote.
“That is why the Election Commission (EC) must make the necessary adjustments and procedural reforms, including implementing the necessary SOPs such as absentee voting or extending postal voting to those working or studying outside their states, especially in Sabah and Sarawak,” Yii said.
“Absentee or postal voting would make it easier for voters residing in other states to vote instead of them having to return home and causing a spike in the number of Covid-19 cases, as what happened in Sabah.”
He said this will require the EC to gazette out-of-region voters as advanced voters eligible for postal voting under Regulation 3(1)(e) of the Elections (Advance Voting) Regulations 2012 to implement such a process.
“I strongly believe that in view of the pandemic, it is the EC’s duty to make it as convenient and safe as possible for voters to cast their ballots. This includes safety and security measures to make sure any postal or absentee voting process or facilities must be tamperproof, transparent, fair and convenient for eligible voters so that it will instil public confidence in the system itself.
“Any inconveniences imposed on voters either directly or indirectly through unnecessary regulations or the non-availability of facilities can be construed as a suppression of the fundamental rights of a voter.”
It is estimated that up to 20% of eligible Sarawakian voters live and work outside the state.
“That is why, in my view, the Sarawak elections should not be called until all these necessary electoral reforms are implemented to protect the safety and health of all Sarawakians as well as their right to vote regardless of their location. – The Vibes, July 31, 2021
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