KUCHING, Nov 4 ― Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) appears to be more afraid of Undi18 voters than the Covid-19 pandemic, said Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak chairman Chong Chieng Jen.

"Sarawak Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg desperately wanted the state elections to be held before end of this year to avoid Undi18 implementation, notwithstanding that Sarawak is recording the highest Covid-19 deaths for the past one month,” the Kota Sentosa assemblyman said in a Facebook post.

He said this yesterday after Istana Negara in a statement announced that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong had consented to lifting the Sarawak Emergency which paves the way for the 12th state election to be held.

"Is Undi18 more scary to the GPS than the Covid-19?” Chong asked further in the post.

Chong, who is also Stampin MP, later told See Hua Daily News ― The Borneo Post’s sister paper ― that he could not understand why GPS could not wait for a few more months when the Emergency was originally scheduled to end.

He pointed out that the decision by the Agong to lift the Emergency Proclamation was made following a request submitted by the Sarawak government.

Another DAP MP, Bandar Kuching’s Dr Kelvin Yii, also criticised GPS for its decision to request the lifting of the Emergency in order to call for the state polls now.

"I said many times, there is no reason to have an early election, unless they (GPS) are really intending to avoid the Undi18 vote. And because of that, they made a deliberate decision to deprive them of voting in this election,” said Yii in a Facebook post.

He also pointed to the Istana Negara statement in which the Agong expressed concern over the risk of a Covid-19 spike should the state polls be held.

Yii went on to say the Sarawak government should instead focus on fully implementing Undi18 and automatic voter registration; administer booster vaccine doses to all vulnerable and high-risk groups; roll out vaccines to adolescents aged 12 to 17; and carry out the necessary electoral reforms.

"The government should also prioritise the preparation of a proper standard operating procedure (SOP) for a safe election to be held,” he added.

Last Saturday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Yaakob in his speech at the 2022 National Youth Day celebration in Kuala Lumpur said the voting age for Malaysians will be lowered from 21 to 18 starting Jan 1 next year, in accordance with the decision made by the Kuching High Court in September ordering the implementation of Undi18 before Dec 31 this year. ― Borneo Post