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KUCHING: The Sarawak State Legislative Assembly (DUN) could be dissolved soon, paving the way for the state election, as the window for calling the polls narrows, said Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
He said the election was likely to be held in December, given the time needed for the Election Commission (EC) to make preparations and the limited window remaining before the end of the year.
“The DUN’s term ends in December because the last state election was held in December. However, under election law, when a state assembly is dissolved or reaches the end of its five-year term, it is automatically dissolved.
“The other way is for the Premier, as the case may be, to dissolve the assembly. When it is dissolved, the Election Commission (EC) must be informed. Under the Election Act, the EC must call an election within 60 days.
“That is why some people say the election could be held as late as February, while others say it must be held in December. Personally, I would consider December the end of the five-year term.” he said during a press conference after the DayakDaily writing competition awards ceremony at Imperial Hotel, today.
Abdul Karim said speculation that the election could take place on December 12 or 19 was plausible, as both dates fell on weekends, when elections were commonly held.
He said the remaining timeframe was becoming increasingly narrow, with November and the first half of December representing the most practical window for the election.
He also pointed to the challenges of holding the polls in January or February, given the expected Chinese New Year celebrations and Ramadan, as well as the year-end holiday period in December.
” I believe any Menteri Besar, Premier or Chief Minister would want to determine the timing of the dissolution themselves rather than allow the assembly to be automatically dissolved.
“This is partly because circumstances might suddenly become unfavourable if the assembly is automatically dissolved. There could be an emergency, haze or flooding, for example, which would make it difficult to manage the situation and take the necessary corrective measures,” he said.
On GPS’ readiness for the coming election, the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu’s (PBB) information chief said the ruling coalition was prepared to face the polls, adding that opposition parties were also making their preparations.
“It is no longer a surprise. It is already an open secret. We are simply waiting for the signal to be given by the Premier,” he said.
He said GPS was confident of retaining at least a two-thirds majority, or potentially three-quarters of the seats, as in the previous state election.
However, he acknowledged that certain constituencies would require closer attention because of grassroots issues and concerns over the performance of incumbent elected representatives.
Abdul Karim also said some changes to the candidate line-up could be expected, noting that replacing a proportion of candidates was necessary to maintain the party’s appeal and strengthen its electoral prospects.
He added that the selection of candidates was a matter for the party’s top leadership, with the need to consider greater representation of women and young people.
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