[ad_1]
PETALING JAYA: Two more by-elections have been postponed to prevent another increase in the spread of Covid-19 infections.
Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah’s decision to consent to an emergency declaration in the Gerik parliamentary constituency in Perak and the Bugaya state constituency in Sabah to allow postponement no It has only brought relief. overall, but also received praise from analysts.
Last month, Batu Sapi’s by-election for the parliamentary seat was postponed for the same reason. The vote was scheduled for December 5 before Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin requested the king’s consent to declare an emergency in the constituency.
The dates of the Gerik and Bugaya contests have yet to be set.
The seats were vacated with the passing of Datuk Hasbullah Osman from Gerik on November 16 and Manis Muka Mohd Dara from Bugaya on November 17.
Political analyst Dr. Awang Azman Awang Pawi said the country “simply cannot handle” another spike in infections similar to the one that followed the September 26 Sabah elections.
“This is the best decision for now. We are still registering a large number of new Covid-19 cases on a daily basis and the Sabah elections had contributed to this, ”he told the Sun yesterday.
Muhyiddin said the cabinet had discussed in detail the impact the Gerik and Bugaya by-elections would have if they were held at a time when Covid-19 is still spreading.
Awang Azman said that any by-election can only be considered once the number of new cases starts to drop dramatically.
“Any by-election or elections can only happen from March if the situation improves. The number of cases must fall below 100 to be considered. “
He added that the people of Gerik and Bugaya should not worry about the state of emergency, as it is just a formality.
“Economic, social and other activities can still continue as usual.”
Professor Jeniri Amir, Senior Researcher at the Malaysian Council of Teachers, said that people’s safety comes first.
“We should learn from what happened in Sabah. Protecting life is the most important thing. Otherwise, we are looking for trouble. “
Jeniri said the delay in the by-elections will not change the position of the current government.
The three seats, Batu Sapi, Gerik and Bugaya, will remain vacant until by-elections are held.
Jeniri also called on Malaysia to follow in the footsteps of countries that have postponed elections due to the pandemic.
According to the electoral portal, ElectionGuide, 67 countries and eight territories have postponed electoral events due to Covid-19 to November 23.
Among them are Brazil, Argentina, India, Hong Kong, Indonesia and New Zealand.
[ad_2]
