The Undi Sarawak and Undi18 teams also pointed out that the Election Commission (EC) has still has not come up with drastically different plans to ensure safer campaigning procedures. – MalayMail photo
KUCHING (Nov 3): Dissolving the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly (DUN) this year will disenfranchise 125,000 to 135,000 Sarawakian youth voters, said the Undi Sarawak and Undi18 teams.
In a statement, they said the Kuching High Court’s decision on Sept 3 this year, compelling the federal government to implement the lowering of the voting age and automatic voter registration by Dec 31, 2021 was to ensure that Sarawakian youth especially will be eligible to vote in the coming state election.
“The decision to hold a state election before the implementation of Undi18 is a premature decision that ignores the voting rights of Sarawakian youth,” they said.
The statement was issued following today’s announcement by Istana Negara on the lifting of the Emergency in Sarawak by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, which paves way for a state election after the dissolution of the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN).
The Undi Sarawak and Undi18 teams also pointed out that the Election Commission (EC) has still has not come up with drastically different plans to ensure safer campaigning procedures.
“This is evident from the statement by the nation’s de facto Law Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar in Parliament, stating that the EC has yet to announce the standard operating procedures (SOP) for the upcoming Melaka state election.
“The country is still adapting to the Covid-19 recovery plan and the extension of Sarawak’s state of emergency, coupled with the implementation of Undi18 which is scheduled to start early next year. It is therefore crucial for the government to reconsider any decision to have an election this year,” they said.
Pointing out that while Malaysia is currently in the Covid-19 recovery stage, the pandemic is far from over.
They reminded that Sarawak is still facing an average of 500 new cases daily and more than 10 fatalities daily.
“While we strongly support the democratic process, the Federal Constitution provides some temporary measures in times of emergency to put elections on hold.”
On July 31, the federal government extended the state emergency in Sarawak until February 2022 to avoid the commencement of the state polls, citing the Covid-19 pandemic as the reason.
With the Yang di-Pertuan Agong assenting to lifting the Emergency, the Sarawak election must be held within 60 days from the revocation.
from Borneo Post Online https://bit.ly/2YdvFpP
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