KUCHING, July 28: The Sarawak Elections should not be held under the present Covid-19 circumstances, says Santubong MP Dato Sri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.
He opined the determining factor will be the number of prevailing Covid-19 cases and the decision of the Health Ministry should be the point of reference.
“If the Health Ministry advises that it is unsafe to hold an election, then Sarawak ought not to hold one.
“This is to avoid the spike of Covid-19 (cases) in the country and the Sabah Elections is a good example,” said Wan Junaidi in a press statement yesterday.
He said presently, the Sarawak Elections is also affected by two other major national decisions, the first being the declaration of Emergency by the King on January 11 this year and the second was the creation of six ordinances under Article 150 to regulate various issues during the Emergency.
Concerning the Emergency, Wan Junaidi noted it will automatically end come August 1, 2021. For the six ordinances which were gazetted, he pointed out that Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan had revoked them on July 21.
While the ordinances have ceased to be effective, Wan Junaidi who is Enterpreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister said the state of Emergency is still subsisting.
He said, the Sarawak Legislative Assembly which was suspended from the date the Emergency was declared (Jan 11) and was supposed to have lapsed on June 6 but did not due to the Emergency, will lapse at one minute after midnight on August 1.
“This is unless the prime minister after consultation with the Chief Minister of Sarawak, advises the TYT (Head of State) to have a new Emergency declared,” said Wan Junaidi.
Wan Junaidi expressed the same view as Sibuti MP Lukanisman Awang Sauni that State elections should be postponed in view of the risk of a possible Covid-19 outbreak during the campaigning period.
“My feeling is the same with YB Luk who spoke in Parliament yesterday on the issue of elections in Sarawak. We should not have the elections under the prevailing Covid-19 circumstances,” said Wan Junaidi. —DayakDaily
