Press Statement By Chong Chieng Jen:
Abang Jo and Dr Sim Kui Hian should focus on Covid management rather than State Elections.
As the current Emergency Order will only expire in February, 2022, there is no need for the GPS to take the active step to request the King to prematurely revoke the Emergency Order so that Sarawak can hold the State Elections before the end of this year.
Sarawak’s case is different from that of Melaka because Melaka is currently NOT subject to Emergency Order and thus by the operation of the Federal Constitution, Melaka must hold Elections within 60 days of the dissolution of the Melaka DUN.
As for Sarawak, not only is Sarawak now amongst the States with the highest number of new COVID infection cases (despite a huge reduction in testing done for the last one month), Sarawak also records the second highest number of COVID deaths per one million population amongst the States in Malaysia.
For the last 2 weeks, the national number of COVID deaths per million people is 24. While Perlis has the highest number of deaths per million people, 67, Sarawak ranked second recording 57 death per million people, followed by Penang (41), Kelantan (33) and Perak (32).
As for ICU utilisation, Sarawak top the nation by having 79.8% ICU utilisation rate.
These figures are alarming and worrying. As the State Government, the GPS should focus all its effort on managing the COVID pandemic, and not on planning to bring forward the State Elections which will definitely increase the infection case and the death cases.
We are talking about the lives of Sarawakians, which GPS should not take lightly. Do not put your political interest above the lives and health of Sarawakians.
Therefore, Abang Jo, being the Chief Minister, should put to rest all speculations about having elections before the expiry of the Emergency Order in February, 2022.
