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Abang Johari speaking at the press conference. – Photo by Chimon Upon
KUCHING (Oct 23): Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg said today that he was seeking advice from experts, including health authorities, on when state elections can be held, as he is concerned about the safety of the inhabitants of Sarawak in the middle of Covid-19. pandemic.
He told a press conference that he had not decided when the elections would be held, but noted that the state could not avoid the elections as the term of the current State Legislative Assembly would expire soon.
“We at Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) are evaluating both (election and Covid-19). Our term actually expires in April 2021. But then we have another 120 days from the automatic dissolution. That means June.
“For us, we have to look both ways because we cannot predict whether our Covid-19 will remain (in) single digits, and we are subject to advice from the Ministry of Health, (on) whether we should go (to the elections) or not.
“I am also concerned about people’s health. On the other hand, you can’t govern and implement Covid-19 measures (to help people) if you don’t have the mandate, ”Abang Johari said.
He said it was a complex situation in which he had to weigh between the safety of the people and the need for the government to have the mandate to manage the pandemic, the administration of the state and its economy in the midst of the pandemic.
“I am subject to the advice of the experts (when deciding the date of the elections), especially the (Ministry) of Health. I mean we are not crazy about power.
“The important thing is that you must have a government that has the mandate not only to manage Covid, (but also) to manage the country and the economy, which is important,” he said.
While he said the motive for the polls in Sabah recently was different from Sarawak’s, he stressed that he did not want Sarawak to also see an increase in cases like what happened in Sabah after his quick polls.
Sabah had held snap elections late last month due to a fight over state leadership. This led the state to recently become the largest contributor of Covid-19 cases to the country.
“The case of Sabah is different. I don’t want to be like Sabah because people’s health is important too. But at the same time the mandate is also needed, ”he said.
Abang Johari had made the tongue flick when he told the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Convention in Sibu recently to be ready for the polls “at any time”.
It has been speculated that the elections could be held before the end of the year.
However, some sectors have urged the chief minister not to rush to call state elections due to the increasing number of Covid-19 cases in the country.
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