KUCHING: The Sarawak state election should not be held this year, a political analyst said.
Universiti Malaya (UM) associate professor Dr Awang Azman Awang Pawi said the state election should only be held when the Covid-19 pandemic has been eradicated and is no longer a threat.
“To protect the people’s health, it is advisable that the state election be held next year,” he said when commenting on Sarawak People’s Aspiration Party (Aspirasi) president Lina Soo’s statement urging the Sarawak government not to call the state election this year.
The current State Legislative Assembly expires in June 2021 and the 12th state election will be held on or before September 7, 2021.
The state election has been rumoured to be held in October or towards the end of this year.
“But it is no longer ideal when the pandemic crisis hits Malaysia, with a staggering 3,483 cases and 57 deaths recorded to date, with Sarawak recording 254 cases and 10 deaths,” opined Awang Azman.
He added that elections were usually face-to-face meetings between the leaders and the people.
“From handshakes with the supporters to house-to-house campaigns, in-house and field rallies, all of it involved public interactions and it is least tolerated when dealing with the current Covid-19 outbreak.
“I think the political leaders themselves will avoid holding PRN this year as the people are still worried about the threat posed by the virus.
“It is difficult to predict when the Covid-19 crisis will be fully abated,” he said.
However, Awang Azman noted that the Sarawak state election have been postponed even under the threat of communism.
On Saturday, Soo commented that the nation’s economy was shattered and livelihoods were on the line, adding that people in rural areas were barely surviving because they had no incomes.
“To think of going to the polls and politicking within the year would be most callous of any government,” she said.
