KUCHING: The decision to end the emergency on Aug 1 will put Sarawak in a real political and social conundrum as the state election must be held within 60 days despite the Covid-19 pandemic.
Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri James Jemut Masing said Sarawak will be stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea – the parliamentary democracy and the lives of the people if the emergency ends.
"We are not out of the woods yet when the emergency ends on Aug 1, but (constitutionally) the state polls must be held too even if we have not achieved herd immunity," he said.
Thus, he urged the Health Ministry and the Election Commission (EC) to come out with strict guidelines to prevent the spread of Covid-19 during the election and face to face campaign must be banned.
"The state election this time will require more manpower, especially from the EC as there should be more ballot boxes and voting centres in the rural constituencies, to reach out to more voters.
"We don't want the rural folks to move around or travel far to vote during the pandemic," he said in a statement today.
"The campaign period should be shortened and polling centres should operate for longer hours – to allow voters to have sufficient time to cast their votes while practicing social distancing," he added.
Masing, who is also Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president, said the EC must also expect a lower turnout due to various restrictions imposed.
However, he opined that in the end, what is most important is a government with the mandate of the people.
Yesterday, Keeper of the Rulers' Seal, Tan Sri Syed Danial Syed Ahmad said the Malay rulers are of the opinion that there was no need for the state of emergency to be extended after Aug 1, 2021.
He said this in a statement after a Special Discussion of the Malay Rulers with Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah at Istana Negara.