‘Let’s hold elections together’

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Expecting Sarawak polls by year end, Abdul Karim says GE15 should be held at the same time

Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah

KUCHING: Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah believes that the 15th General Election (GE15) should be held simultaneously with the Sarawak polls, adding that it is likely that the state election will be held by the end of this year.

The Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu vice president said however that if Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin decides to call a snap election first, Sarawak should then also dissolve the State Legislative Assembly for the state polls to be held at the same time.

“Both the state and general elections should be held simultaneously due to the current political situation in the country with the (federal) government having a slim majority (in Parliament),” he told reporters here yesterday.

He was asked to comment on Muhyiddin’s call on Perikatan Nasional parties Tuesday to ‘work extremely hard as if the election is going to be held tomorrow’.

Abdul Karim pointed out that the difference in seats in the Dewan Rakyat between the government and the opposition was so slim that if an MP were to pass away or defect, it could result in a hung parliament.

He said it was likely that Sarawak would hold its polls by the end of this year due to ‘many events going on in the state next year’, although he did not specify what the events were.

The Malaysian Parliament or Dewan Rakyat consists of 222 seats with the Perikatan Nasional government holding 113 and the opposition, 109.

The next state polls, formally the 12th Sarawak Election, must be held within 60 days upon the dissolution of the State Legislative Assembly whose current term expires on June 7, 2021.

“It is an open secret that it (state election) will be held soon and the way I see it right now, maybe by the end of the year. We are ready for it and so are the opposition,” said Abdul Karim.

Commenting on Gabungan Parti Sarawak’s (GPS) chances in the coming state election, Abdul Karim said he believes they can better their showing in the 2016 polls where, as the then Barisan Nasional, they secured 72 of the 82 seats contested.

He also predicted that peninsula-based parties in Sarawak face being wiped out in view of the lacklustre performance of the previous Pakatan Harapan federal government, adding that Sarawakians now would prefer to vote for Sarawak-based parties.

“We (GPS) have been doing our job well in taking care of the state and Sarawakians know this. Sarawakians have also realised now that the Peninsular Malaysia-based parties do not understand the needs of Sarawak and its people.”

At the same time, Abdul Karim said GPS will have “no problem” facing the challenges posed by other Sarawak-based political parties in the next state polls, reiterating that voters know that GPS is the one who can serve the people well.

Earlier, Abdul Karim, who is state Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister, officiated at the opening of the Sarawak Craft Council Office, Gallery and Retail Outlets at the Sarawak Steamship Building at Kuching Waterfront.

Present with him at the ceremony was Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department Datuk John Sikie Tayai and other officials.