By Peter Sibon
KUCHING, Oct 23: Now is not the right time to hold the Sarawak state election, opines Sapa president Dominique Ng.
He said the election should be delayed until next year when there is a high possibility that vaccines for the deadly Covid-19 would be available.
“Actually, I have been going on the ground recently and we were distributing face masks and at the same time getting the people’s input in the preparedness for the election among other reasons.
“And the answer is, “Please no election now, at least not this year”. What happened in Sabah is scary,” Ng told DayakDaily in an exclusive interview here today.
The Sarawak Association of People’s Aspiration (Sapa) leader pointed out Sarawak must learn from the Sabah experience whereby it has between 500-600 daily reported cases after it held its snap election last month.
“By and large urban Kuching residents are a careful lot. We already been through the MCO (Movement Control Order). Right now, we are still within the MCO but a bit more relaxed. We do not want to go back to the bad old days again. That is what’s happening right now in Selangor and Sabah,” he said.
As to when is the right timing to hold the election, Ng who is a former Padungan assemblyman said that the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) state government still has a window of time to hold the election next year before the expiry of the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) term in April.
“I think the people of Sarawak certainly agrees that it’s the prerogative of the CM of Sarawak to set the date (of the Sarawak State election). This, we have no qualms about. It is not for the Election Commission to tell Sarawak when to call for the election.
“However, caution has to be exercised. We do not want to hold an election in a precipitate manner and getting everybody into trouble with (the number of) Covid-19 cases rising, even though we are fairly well controlled, as the people are still scared.
“So, the Sarawak government has to be wary about the whole situation,” he added.
Ng asserted that since GPS is not facing any imminent threat from the opposition, it was thus wise for it to delay the election until next year when there is a high possibility a Covid-19 vaccine would be available.
“The latest news is from China. It would be a matter of time before they will get the vaccine to be safe enough to be used for everybody. And China is very confident about it.
“Even Dr Anthony Fauci (Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and Chief of the Laboratory of Immunoregulation at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, United States of America) has said, “Give us time that the vaccine will be available”.
“So, giving them time. It is what we need while there is possibility that the spike might come up in January or March during those windows that we (may) have (to have the election) because at that time the vaccine will be available. Just give another two months, the vaccine may be available,” he said.
When asked to comment on the USA having its election and that both Singapore and New Zealand have already had theirs, Ng insisted that the timing was just not right for Sarawak to hold its polls this year.
“I’m not saying that Sarawak is doing a bad job. But right now, Sarawakians tend to be a bit worried. The sudden spike from the so-called controlled situation (in Sabah) has resulted in uncontrollable experiences and it’s just next door,” he said.
Ng insisted that the concerns of the people about the current trend of Covid-19 was legitimate and the Sarawak government should consider deferring the state election this year.
The timing for the 12th State election has become a hot topic among Sarawakians from both sides of the political divide and civil societies.
For more details, be sure to watch DayakDaily’s “Spot On” video which will available online on Sunday (Oct 25) morning. — DayakDaily
