Press Releases
Date: 24 July 2021
Joint Press Statement: CSO Platform for Reform (Sarawak Chapter) and Sarawak CSOs Highlight Safe Election Recommendations for the Upcoming State Election
KUCHING - In preparation for the inevitable 12th Sarawak State Elections, the CSO Platform for Reform (Sarawak Chapter) has come up with a few recommendations on how elections can be conducted safely, notwithstanding the COVID-19 pandemic.
While we are deeply concerned with the current spike of positive cases from Variants of Concern (VOC) in Malaysia (to date, there are 93 cases of Delta Variants discovered in Sarawak), we are equally concerned that the mandate of Sarawak's State Legislative Assembly has expired albeit extended by the 2021 Emergency provisions.
As we know, the 12th Sarawak State Election (PRN12) must be held within 60 days of the lifting of the Emergency that may end on August 1.
As responsible CSOs, we make the following recommendations to the Prime Minister Mahiaddin Yassin, Sarawak’s Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg and the Chairman of the Election Commission (SPR):
POSTAL VOTING -
Postal Voting be made available to all overseas voters including Malaysians who live and work in the neighbouring regions of Singapore, Brunei, Kalimantan, Indonesia and southern Thailand. This is on top of the existing categories of domestic postal voters such those from the 9 governmental agencies, the media, police and other military personnel unable to vote on Advance Voting Day as well as election workers or Commissioners of SPR who are on duty on Polling Day.
EXPAND CATEGORIES OF VOTERS -
Expand the categories of voters who can vote in advance beyond the police and military personnel and their spouses to ‘out-of-region’ voters, meaning those who live and work in states outside of where they are currently registered as a voter. This will immediately enfranchise Sarawakians who live across the South China Sea in Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah and vice versa. Advance Voting Centres can be set up in each state of Malaysia and those who qualify must pre-register themselves to be on the Advance Voting Roll much like the police and military. They will then be able to walk into any of these Advance Voting stations on Advance Voting Day to cast their votes in person and have their votes counted towards the total votes of the constituency they are registered with. Time of counting and tallying can be done at a certain time on the Polling Day itself.
MOBILE VOTING -
As for mobile voting, SPR can utilise this method for the infirmed, disabled and aged voters living in nursing and care homes as well as those serving Quarantine Orders or stay at home orders due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This can be part of the advance voting and their votes are counted towards the total votes of the constituency they are registered with on Polling Day.
Other than the above mentioned alternatives or special voting arrangements, a reform necessary in the long term might also include electronic voting.
Other measures to reduce the movement or presence of voters in polling stations over a given time can be:
Extending Polling Day to 2 days (since SPR is already reducing the number of maximum voters in each voting channel by half) in order to spread out the voters.
Campaigning Period is a key part of an election. These are our recommendations to keep the public safe without compromising the delivery by contesting parties/candidates of their election manifestos and policies on current issues to the voters.
1. Televise party leaders’ debate and allocate equal TV and radio airtime for all contesting candidates in their various constituencies. SPR can use its powers under the Constitution to arrange equal air time over publicly-owned RTM and TV Sarawak for this purpose;
2. Longer campaigning period (for a minimum of 21 days). This is to allow voters more time to receive information and make an informed decision, and for overseas voters to receive their postal ballots in time.
Other equally pertinent reforms that must be implemented are Automatic Voter Registration and Undi18. This will immediately enfranchise 5.6 million mainly young Malaysians and recognise their constitutional right to vote.
The vaccination programme in Sarawak is happening at a commendable rate and the state is on track towards achieving herd immunity by mid-August this year. However, the rate and status of vaccination should not be used as the sole indicator for the Chief Minister to call for the 12th state elections. The 5-year mandate of the Sarawak Legislative Assembly has technically expired; and parliamentary democracy and the constitution require that a fresh mandate be obtained from the voters in the state to determine their representatives including the state government for the next five years.
We also demand that SPR reveal their plans and strategies to make the 12th Sarawak State Elections safe and inclusive. We are hopeful that these plans will involve adopting some of these recommended Special Voting Arrangements. The voters and stakeholders of elections need to be informed of these changes and plans so that they can exercise their voting rights accordingly thus ensuring participation by the voters.
As for the Chief Minister of Sarawak, the narrative and calls for state autonomy and/or devolution of powers ring hollow if he and his cabinet do not demand the SPR to implement reforms to enfranchise Sarawakian voters who live out of the state.
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