KUCHING, June 20: Sarawak People’s Aspiration Party (Aspirasi) wants the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) to reconvene following the decree by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and the Conference of Rulers to not extend the Emergency beyond Aug 1.
Its president Lina Soo said His Highness specifically allowed both Parliamentary and state assemblies to sit, and the Sarawak government must immediately take action to facilitate the last DUN sitting before the 12th State Election (PRN12) is held.
“As all assemblymen (ADUN) are believed to have been vaccinated with double doses as required, there is no reason to delay the DUN sitting which should reconvene as soon as possible to conform with all the constitutional requirements and all outstanding issues and debates in DUN prior to the forthcoming Sarawak election,” she said in a press statement today.
Soo opined, for the DUN to sit only after the Emergency is lifted is only a tactical delay, a denial of the democratic process against the wishes of the people, and more importantly, a mockery of the intentions of the Palace to bring certainty and stability to the nation.
She said Sarawak could hold its PRN12 within 60 days of the lifting of the Emergency, barring unforeseen circumstances.
“With the vaccination programme proceeding on schedule where the majority of Sarawakians will have been vaccinated by August, most of the voters will feel safe to go out and vote with all the standard operating procedures (SOPs) in place,” she added.
She pointed out that exercising the democratic right to vote to choose the government is most critical after all the challenges the State has faced these past two years.
“So DUN which has been prorogued by the Emergency must meet one last time before PRN12, and not after,” she said. — DayakDaily
