The Sarawak State Legislative Assembly building stands on the Petra Jaya side of the Sarawak River.
KUCHING: The Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah has decreed that Sarawak be placed under a Proclamation of Emergency From August 2, 2021, to February 2, 2022.
The proclamation has prevented the state election from being held within 60 days from the expiry of the current nationwide Emergency tomorrow.
A Federal Government Gazette, sighted by The Borneo Post, dated July 30, 2022, said the King was satisfied that a grave emergency exists whereby security, economic life and public order was threatened by the Covid-19 pandemic.
It pointed out that the Sarawak Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) should have been dissolved on June 7, 2021, but paragraph 15(1)(a) of the Emergency (Essential Powers) Ordinance 2021 had suspended the dissolution of the DUN.
It added that in line with paragraph 15(1)(a) of the Emergency (Essential Powers)
Ordinance 2021, the nationwide Emergency will cease on August 2, 2021, and therefore, the state election was required to be held within sixty days from 2 August 2021 in accordance with Clause (4) of Article 21 of the Constitution of the State of Sarawak
In this respect, the gazette said: “And whereas Clause (1) of Article 150 of the Federal Constitution provides that in the said circumstances we may issue a Proclamation of Emergency to suspend the general election to the Dewan Undangan Negeri in order to prevent any further increase in the spread of the epidemic of COVID-19 if the general election is held:
“Now, therefore, we Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatutuddin Al-Mutafa Billal Shah Ibni Almarhun Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta’in Billah, by the Grace of Allah, Yang di-Pertuan Agong of the States and territories of Malaysia, in exercise of the powers conferred on us as aforesaid proclaim that a grave emergency exists and that this Proclamation shall extend throughout the State of Sarawak from 2 August 2021 to 2 February 2022.”
The gazette pointed out that the matter would be laid before Parliament pursuant to Clause (3) of Article 150 of the Federal Constitution.