KUCHING, Dec 7 — Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) vice-president Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah today dismissed claims by Opposition politicians that the Election Commission’s (EC) standard operating procedure (SOP) for the state election is preventing them from campaigning effectively.

He said the SOP applies to both the ruling Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) and Opposition parties.

"Following the imposition of the SOP, the chief minister (Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg) cannot even go to other areas to help GPS candidates with their campaign.

"He can only campaign in Gedong where he is contesting,” Karim said during a "live” political discourse "Can GPS defend its two-thirds majority?” hosted by the Jiwa Bakti and Utusan Sarawak newspapers and moderated by veteran journalist Kadir Dikoh.

The other panellist was Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) social sciences lecturer Lucy Sebli Seidelson.

"I was also a bit taken aback because leaders should be allowed to go to other areas to campaign, but we have to comply with the SOP enforced by the EC,” said Karim, who is also the state tourism, arts and culture minister.

"Sometimes, I wonder if it would be possible for the SOP to be relaxed a little so that my leader can venture to other areas because Sarawak is a big state.”

He said it is true that the SOP came from the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC), but after the dissolution of the Sarawak State Assembly early last month, GPS politicians are no longer sitting on the committee.

He said the SDMC is now chaired by State Secretary Datuk Amar Jaul Samion.

"If Opposition politicians are not happy, I am also not happy with the SOP,” he said, adding that he also wants to help the GPS candidates in other areas and not confine himself to Asajaya where he is contesting.

The restrictions imposed by the SOP include confining election candidates to their respective target constituencies during the campaigning period until polling day on December 18, while political parties involved in the state election are only allowed to invite five of their senior leaders from peninsula Malaysia to Sarawak. Political ceramah are also banned in 18 constituencies where internet service is good, but allowed in 64 other areas where the internet service is poor.

Karim said the SOP is meant to curb the spread of Covid-19 during the state election as what happened in Sabah during snap polls last year.

He also said big public rallies aren’t a necessity during this time.

"As for the SOP, which has been set, if it applies to the Opposition, then it also applies to parties in the ruling coalition,” he said.

Earlier today, Sarawak DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen alleged that the state election SOP favoured GPS.

He said the SOP was not for the purpose of curbing the spread of Covid-19 in the state, but to manipulate the election to the advantage of GPS.

"In the course of implementing the SOP, the GPS government through Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) is prioritising its political interests over the lives and health of Sarawakians in general,” he told reporters at the state DAP headquarters here.