KUCHING: Sarawak Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg said the state election must be held when the current term of the State Legislative Assembly ends in June next year.
He said some individuals and parties had suggested that the state election should not be held during the Covid-19 pandemic. He explained that the state assembly must be dissolved when the current term ended to pave the way for the state election.
"We have to go back to the people (for a fresh mandate) and we have a good government to manage Covid-19 (during the election process)."
Abang Johari, who is Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) chairman, said this when closing the Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) Convention here yesterday.
He said Sarawak should continue to be ruled by Sarawakians and not by people and political parties from outside the state.
GPS is a Sarawak-based coalition of four parties, namely Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu, which Abang Johari leads as president, SUPP, Progressive Democratic Party and Parti Rakyat Sarawak.
As the GPS chairman, he said he wanted all the component parties to work as a team to win the 12th state election, adding that the coming election would make them even stronger in building the future.
"No country can be successful if the people are split, and have no direction to govern and develop their country.
"Thank God, I have the cooperation of all the components parties."
After Sarawak won the case on the petroleum products sales tax against Petronas, he said, the state under GPS would continue to exercise its rights on minerals on its soil to diversify its income for additional revenue.