SPAOH, Dec 18: Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) election director Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas is hoping that the voter turnout will hit at least 70 per cent Statewide in the 12th Sarawak Election today, despite this election being the most challenging one yet with strict standard operating procedures (SOP) in place to curb the spread of Covid-19.
Although the SOPs are more strict in urban areas, they were also very restrictive in rural areas, he said.
Uggah said during past elections, he could hold public rallies, “ceramah” and entertainment events in every location, but those were now not allowed or allowed with restrictions.
“But these are very necessary to get my message to the voters.
“In the past, there was no need for physical distancing, compulsory wearing of face masks and the need to register one’s presence on the MySejahtera app and having one’s body temperature scanned.
“Now we can only hold talks at designated places with restrictions applied to crowd capacity and the time allotted.
“We are also not allowed to shake hands with our voters, which could cost us their votes.
“For me, I have my machinery and teams to campaign in all these longhouses, kampongs and the town areas.
“I have personally visited only a handful within these two weeks.
“But I have visited all of them after winning the 2016 election,” he said.
Meanwhile, Uggah who is N37 Bukit Saban incumbent, his wife Dato Doreen Mayang and their three children as well as other family members were among the first to cast their votes at his 95-year-old longhouse, Rh Mendit Unsu in Penom near here when the polling station opened at 7:30am.
Prior to making their way to the polling station under Presiding Officer Alan Sambau, they had to register their presence on the MySejahtera app and scanned their body temperature.
Uggah is seeking his second term as Bukit Saban assemblyman.
He was also a seven-term Betong MP.
In the 12th Sarawak Election, Uggah is challenged by Andria Dundang from Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) and Mikail Mathew Abdullah from Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR).
The Bukit Saban seat is a rural Iban majority seat which has 9,500 voters stretched over 95 longhouses and four Malay villagers with 854 houses.
There are about 6,500 Iban, 2,700 Malay and 300 Chinese voters.
On the usage of social media platforms to campaign, he said he and his campaigners had found it hard going due to the rather limited Internet coverage.
“It is only in places with good connection that this option is a blessing,” he added.
Uggah later joined Betong MP Datuk Robert Lawson Chuat to fly to four interior polling stations in Bukit Saban to check on the polling process. — DayakDaily
