EC told to be more sensitive, respectful

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KOTA KINABALU: Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) information chief Datuk Johnny Mositun has appealed to the Election Commission (EC) to be more sensitive and respectful to the families of elected representatives who have passed away.

The EC should at least wait until after the deceased has been laid to rest before making any announcement on the by-election, he said.

Mositun was responding to State EC director Datuk Mohd Idrus Ismail’s statement two days ago that the Commission will be meeting this week to decide on the nomination and polling dates for the Batu Sapi parliamentary constituency.

The seat is left vacant after its elected representative, Datuk Edmund Chong, was killed in a road accident last Saturday. The late Edmund was also the PBS treasurer general.

Mositun pointed out that there is ample time for the meeting as the law says the by-election must be held within 60 days from the day the seat was made vacant.

“So why the rush? As a state leader, I am very disappointed with the State EC director’s announcement on Tuesday that the meeting will be held on Friday.

The EC could have at least waited until after the late Datuk Edmund was laid to rest before making the announcement on the meeting,” he said.

According to him, the timing of the announcement was not right as the family, friends and party members were still grieving.

“I hope in the future, the EC will take into consideration the timing of their announcement on matters like this. Let the people mourn and grieve their loss first. Show some sensitivity and give the deceased some respect,” he said.