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MIRI – Sarawak Pakatan Harapan (PH) is dismayed by the sudden lifting of the health emergency in the state, which may trigger the 12th state elections.
Its deputy chairman Dr Teo Yu Keng told The Vibes that the lifting of the emergency is shocking, seeing that they are still battling the raging transmissions of the Covid-19 Delta variant and its subvariants.
Dr Teo – who is also Miri MP and state PKR vice-chairman – shared that state opposition leaders are dismayed over the news.
“It is going to spark off politicking that will undo all the efforts put in by our health and medical frontliners to control the Covid-19 Delta variant crisis that we are going through now.
“We in Sarawak PH will have to convene an emergency meeting soonest. This is a matter of highest urgency. The rakyat in Sarawak may be forced to suffer even more if, indeed, the ruling Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) rushes for the state elections now,” he said.
Earlier today, Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah lifted the emergency proclamation that was supposed to end in February next year, following petitions from ruling coalition GPS.
Acting Comptroller of the Royal Household Datuk Azuan Effendy Zairakithnaini said the Agong’s decision on the emergency was made after taking into account a request by Sarawak Governor Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud, and the advice of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
He said the Agong had also heard the views of Attorney-General Tan Sri Idrus Harun, and the heads of two related government agencies.
The statement came after Taib was granted an audience with the Agong earlier yesterday.
Istana Negara also said the Agong had met with Ismail Sabri at 8am today for an hour-long pre-cabinet meeting at the palace.
Meanwhile, political observers had come to the conclusion that GPS is keen on going to the polls before year-end.
Opposition parties in the state have accused GPS of being daunted by – and wanting to avoid – new voters under Undi18, and the automatic registration law that will come into effect next year. – The Vibes, November 3, 2021