Chiew: Opposition ‘fighting with both hands tied’ if polls SOP restricts movements
BINTULU: The imposition of Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOP) for the coming state election will be disadvantageous to the opposition, Tanjong Batu assemblyman Chiew Chiu Sing has claimed.
He believes the SOP will involve some form of movement restriction, which would leave the opposition “fighting with both hands tied” as they do not have the resources that Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) has at its disposal to reach out to voters.
“The people want a clean and fair election but with all the standard operating procedures that are going to be imposed, restricting movements and such, how to have an election without movement?
“Election is (about) the movement of people and (use of) lawful resources, so without such movement, how can we have fair elections?” he told The Borneo Post yesterday when prompted for comments on the lifting of the Sarawak Emergency.
Chiew, who is Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak deputy chairman, said Sarawakians are very concerned that having the election now could possibly trigger a spike in Covid-19 cases as the pandemic is still rampant in the state.
The people had been hoping GPS would only call for the polls after the Emergency in the state ended in February next year rather than now, he added.
“After all, it is the health of the people that is most important, and the state government should never put their health at risk at any time and further burden the frontliners.
“Bear in mind also that many have not even had their third vaccine dose. We must remember the election in Sabah during the Covid-19 pandemic and how so many people became infected after the election.”
Chiew said he further believes one of the reasons GPS had asked for the Emergency Proclamation to be lifted earlier was to avoid facing the newly-eligible Undi18 voters.
“Why should GPS be afraid of 18-year-old voters? We should welcome them. The future belongs to them and we should allow them to have their say in building the future of our country,” he said.
Meanwhile, Murum assemblyman Kennedy Chukpai Ugon said stringent SOP must be enforced for the coming polls, including restricting cross-border movements from nomination to polling day.
“However, the Election Commision (EC) must allow Sarawakians to vote. Therefore, the EC must find ways and means for Sarawakian voters to exercise their right to vote within the confines of the SOP.
“The safety of the people is our utmost priority,” he said.
Chukpai stressed the Sarawak government is determined to ensure the upcoming polls would not risk the health and safety of the people which could cause a surge in Covid-19 cases.
On Wednesday, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin AlMustafa Billah Shah consented to lifting of the Proclamation of Emergency for Sarawak, which had been in effect since Aug 2, to pave the way for the state polls to be held.
Istana Negara in a statement said the consent given by the King was in accordance with Articles 40 and 40(1A) of the Federal Constitution.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar told The Borneo Post late Wednesday the lifting of the Emergency meant the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly was automatically dissolved, and that the state election has to be held within a period of 60 days.