Lina Soo
KUCHING (July 28): Sarawak People’s Aspiration Party (Aspirasi) has urged the state’s constitutional and legal experts to study what are the options, if any, when an election may be postponed during a public health situation and ongoing pandemic.
Its president Lina Soo said while she agreed that the 12th state election (PRN12) should be postponed in view of the high number of Covid cases, the issue is constitutionality and legality, not political.
She said in the normal situation, the law is very clear that election must be held with 60 days after dissolution of the State Legislative Assembly (DUN).
She, however, said in view of the high number of Covid-19 cases which have penetrated all districts of Sarawak, one must understand that election is a constitutional and legal issue.
“Therefore, our constitutional and legal experts must study what mechanism to use to postpone the election, if need be, beyond the 60 days deadline.
“Whatever decision is made, it needs to be done within the constitution,” she said when asked whether an Emergency be imposed upon Sarawak to postpone PRN12.
To the same question, she stressed that the law needs to be referred to; Is an emergency the only way to postpone PRN12 or if there are other legal mechanisms to have the same effect?
She reiterated it is for state or national legal experts to study the issue.
Soo, however, personally believed that the peoples’ lives must come first, before politics and elections.
“I agree the polls be postponed in view of the high number of Covid cases which have penetrated all districts of Sarawak.
“This is alarming because this shows our Sarawak government has failed dismally to contain the spread of Covid.
“This Delta (variant) is not to be ignored and won’t go away any time soon,” she said.
She, however, said only the constitutional experts can give the solution to the election issue, which she believed they will.