BINTULU: SPDP president Tan Sri William Mawan did not agree with holding the general election on June 3 as it was too close to Gawai Dayak.
“It is still in the duration of Gawai and I think it is not appropriate, especially in the context of the rural community in Sarawak. I am not sure about Sabah,” Mawan told the media after chairing SPDP’s annual general meeting here yesterday.
Mawan who is also Minister of Social Development said if the general election was held on that date, there was a possibility voters coming back for the Gawai Dayak could influence their counterparts in the longhouses and villages with their views of local issues.
“During Gawai, people will compare notes and discuss issues between those staying back and those coming from Brunei, Johor, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and overseas. When that happens, they can change the mentality of the electorate.
“As such, it is not an appropriate time,” he commented on a Bloomberg news report that June 3 could be the opportune time for the BN government led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to call for the general election.