KUCHING, Jan 23: The 12th Sarawak election could be held before the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration next year.
Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department (Corporate Affairs and Sarawak Public Communications Unit) Abdullah Saidol predicted that the state election, due in 2021, could be called before the current term of the state legislative assembly expires in July next year.
“All the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) elected representatives are working very hard because we believe this is going to be our last Hari Raya (celebration) before the next state election.
“All the elected representatives have received instructions and advice from the chief minister (Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg) to ensure that all the people-centric projects are monitored and being implemented.
“Everybody must go to the ground and it is no more business as usual,” he told reporters after the Unit for Other Religions (Unifor) grant presentation ceremony here today.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, the minister-in-charge of Unifor, presented the grant for the building of houses of worship across the state.
For 2021, Hari Raya Aidilfitri is expected to fall on May 13. Chinese New Year meanwhile, falls on Feb 12.
Abdullah advised his GPS counterparts not to take things for granted amid the current political situation in Peninsular Malaysia, he deemed as volatile and uncertain. He added that this would not provide any advantage for GPS leading to the next state polls.
“What important is for people to understand that why we exit Barisan Nasional (BN) and what is special about GPS, which is represented by the local parties that must continue to administer the government.
“We have our own interests and agenda to defend and at the same time we do not want Sarawak to be influenced by the culture of other political parties outside Sarawak,” he opined.
Uggah urged elected representatives who needed funds to build houses of worship at their respective constituencies to submit their applications to Unifor by February this year, which could be disbursed in the second quarter.
At the event, the deputy chief minister presented cheques to 42 elected representatives amounting to RM10.9 million for 103 projects.
The approved fund under Phase 2 was from the 2019 annual budget given by the Sarawak government to assist, repair and to build houses of worship throughout Sarawak. — DayakDaily
