Not up to EC to decide on polls, says Sarawak minister
Published on: Thursday, October 15, 2020
By: FMT
.jpg "Not up to EC to decide on polls, says Sarawak minister")
Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah says the EC must ‘do their job’ even in midst of a pandemic.
KUCHING: The Election Commission (EC) has no authority to tell anyone when is the right time to hold an election, a Sarawak minister said today.Speaking to FMT, Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) vice-president Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said it is the prerogative of Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg to dissolve the state legislative assembly whenever he decides, to pave the way for the state polls.
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He reminded EC chairman Abdul Ghani Salleh that the commission is an independent body with the task of overseeing and conducting elections.
“Does the chairman know when we will be totally safe and free from Covid-19?” he asked.
Yesterday, Ghani told a media conference that it was not the right time to hold a general or state election as the country is still battling Covid-19.
Karim, who is also the state’s tourism, arts, and culture minister, said Singapore and New Zealand had carried out their elections during the Covid-19 pandemic, and even the US presidential election is less than one month away.
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