Parliament: Make Sabah election safe polls call to EC

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 12 -- With five days to go before the Election Commission (EC) meets to determine the dates for the Sabah state election, a Sabah leader today posed a challenge for the body conducting elections.

Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin (BN-Kinabatangan) wants the EC to come up with standard operating procedures (SOPs) that can convince the people it is safe to come out and vote during the current COVID-19  pandemic.

“I want the EC to come up with SOPs that really convince the people that it is safe to come out and vote. I also request the Health Department to extend its cooperation in the matter so that the candidates and campaign workers do not get infected by the disease.

“A lack of stringent SOPs is a cause for concern among the people of Sabah,” he said when speaking during the debate on the Supplementary Supply Bill (2019) 2020 at the committee stage in the Dewan Rakyat.

Bung Moktar, who is Sabah Umno chairman, went on to say: “We want the people to be safe, the candidates to be safe, the campaign workers to be safe, which means priority must be given to safety and health.

The EC is scheduled to have a special meeting in Kota Kinabalu on Aug 17 to determine the dates for the Sabah election.

The Sabah state legislative assembly was dissolved on July 30. Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal announced the dissolution after getting the consent of the Yang Dipertua Negeri, Tun Juhar Mahiruddin.

Mohd Shafie opted to have the state assembly dissolved after former chief minister Tan Sri Musa Aman claimed he had majority support in the state assembly to form a government.

Article 21(4) of the Sabah State Constitution provides for a state election to be held within 60 days after the dissolution of the state legislative assembly.

-- BERNAMA