12TH STATE ELECTION
KUCHING: It would be advantageous for the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government to call for the 12th state election this year, opined Universiti Malaya (UM) associate professor Dr Awang Azman Awang Pawi.
The political analyst said for GPS as the ruling coalition, the right time to hold the state polls would be before the moratorium ends on Dec 31, 2020.
“During this time (moratorium period), the feel-good factor among the people is still there,” he told New Sarawak Tribune today when prompted for comments on the timing for the state election.
He explained that after the moratorium, the people would begin to repay all forms of loans while the economy has not fully recovered yet.
“And not long after that, the feel-good factor may change to feeling not good because the political sentiment can change quickly,” he said.
He added once the moratorium expires, it may cause businesses to reduce operations including reducing workers or having to lay off jobs and this would lead to unemployment and cause social and economic problems for the people.
“If during that period the state polls were to be held, it could affect GPS’s victory.
“GPS should take a lesson from countries such as South Korea and Singapore which held their elections during Covid-19 and won handsomely because the government’s policies were on track, liked by many and hence the government’s popularity increased,” said Dr Awang.
On Wednesday, Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) vice-president Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said he believed that the state polls would be called this year instead of next year.
He said it was also likely that the 15th General Election (GE15) would be called at the same time as the state election due to the slim majority attained by the federal government in Parliament.
