KUCHING: Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas hopes the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the 12th Sarawak Election set by the relevant authorities will be realistic.
“(It is hoped that the SOPs) would allow campaigning at the same time taking care of public health.
“Physical distancing and others must be carried out to prevent the virus (Covid-19) from spreading,” he said when asked about his hopes for the election-related SOPs, particularly for those living in the interior.
Nevertheless, the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) deputy president said the state was still waiting for the Election Commission (EC) and the Ministry of Health (MoH) to release the SOPs.
“We can see from the election SOPs for Melaka, thus it (election) is going to be a different scenario altogether,” said Uggah, who is also the Bukit Saban incumbent.
In the SOPs for the Melaka election, political talks, lectures, face-to-face campaigns, house-to-house visits and walkabouts are strictly prohibited.
Earlier on Friday (Nov 12), Uggah presented the Covid-19 operational grant to various religious bodies.
On Nov 1, PBB vice-president Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the EC had briefed the Sarawak government that there would be no physical campaigning.
The Asajaya incumbent also said that looking at the Covid-19 situation, he was sure that the election SOPs used in Melaka would also be applied in the Sarawak polls.
“It should not be a problem. For me, it is good. It is better to have SOPs for the election,” he said, adding that the SOPs would be applied to all – government and opposition.
