Dr Abdul Rahman (centre) after distributing fresh food to residents of Kampung Telaga Air.
KUCHING (August 1): The six-month extension of Emergency for Sarawak will not give Gabungan Parti Sarawak an advantage in the next state election, said Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) vice president Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi.
He said this was because GPS elected representatives had already been on the move at the grassroot level.
“For example, in Pantai Damai constituency, GPS and PBB machineries have held various activities at the grassroot level since the 2018 general election (GE),” said Dr Abdul Rahaman, who is the Pantai Damai assemblyman.
He was met after distributing fresh food to residents of Kampung Telaga Air who were placed under the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) from July 28 to Aug 10.
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah had decreed that Sarawak be placed under a Proclamation of Emergencyfrom 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 on Monday.
At the same time, Dr Abdul Rahman said that with the declaration, the term of the Sarawak State Assembly (DUN) was automatically extended for another six months.
“The Chief Minister had informed that the state election could not be held if two conditions are not met.
“One, if Covid-19 cases are reported to be still high today around 400 cases and it is not suitable for us to hold elections and two, if we have not achieved herd immunity as targeted,” he said.
Dr Abdul Rahman said the state government was working to ensure that 2.2 million people in Sarawak, including non-citizens, completed two doses of Covid-19 vaccine before August 31.
He pointed out that in European countries, cases of Covid-19 infections were found to have decreased after achieving herd immunity.
If Covid-19 cases decreased, then the state would be able to hold state elections as planned, he said.