KUCHING, Oct 23: Use Facebook Live or Zoom for pre-election campaigns if there is to be an election soon, says Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) Youth Central secretary-general Milton Foo.
“If state polls were to be held, there should be no open ceramah (talks) but online ceramah, nor physical gathering, but do Facebook live or Zoom to interact with the voters,” he said.
He added no mass gatherings nor rallies should be held during campaign periods before the upcoming 12th Sarawak State Election (PRN12).
Instead, he urged the people of Sarawak to practice new norms in politics apart from their daily lives during this Covid-19 pandemic.
Not only that, Foo said those from outside of the state ought to be banned from organising campaigns in Sarawak.
“Let Sarawakians handle our own matters and affairs,” he emphasised in a statement today.
Meanwhile, he quoted “the election in South Korea was a good case study” for the references of Sarawak’s State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) and the Election Commission (EC) in holding state polls.
”During the South Korean polls in April this year (2020), candidates were not allowed to gather in large numbers, forcing them to hold live talk shows with voters online and posting clips of them interacting with citizens and even introducing popular restaurants located in their districts.
“The Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) and the NEC (National Election Commission) jointly set the guidelines at voting stations at a time when South Korea seems to have contained the novel coronavirus at a manageable level
“Candidates have been asked by the NEC not to gather in large numbers, forcing campaign managers to think of new ways to appeal to voters,” he said.
Citing examples of South Korean leaders uploading campaign speeches online, hosting weekly YouTube talk shows with party candidates and placing banners ads on leading web portals, Foo expressed wishes of candidates in Sarawak to do the same as well.-DayakDaily
