EC to be briefed on weather conditions and forecasts

KUCHING: The Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) will brief the Election Commission (EC) on weather conditions and forecasts to help prepare for the coming Sarawak General Election, which is expected to take place during the Northeast Monsoon period.

Its chairman, Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, said the state Meteorological Department would provide the EC with the latest weather forecasts to assist in planning for the election.

He said SDMC is monitoring the situation and would coordinate with the EC on weather-related matters once the election dates were determined.

“We do not know when the election will be held, as that is for the EC to decide. However, we have been informed that the monsoon has begun and will continue until March next year.

“We will brief the EC on the latest weather reports and forecasts,” he told a press conference after attending the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu’s (PBB) Supreme Council meeting at the party headquarters here on Wednesday (Oct. 4).

Uggah, who is also PBB’s deputy president, said SDMC would provide a more detailed briefing once the EC had announced the key election dates, including nomination day and polling day.

He said the information would be particularly important for remote areas where helicopters might be required to transport election personnel and facilitate election operations.

“We need to know the weather conditions in these places, especially in some very remote areas where helicopters may have to be used,” he said.

He added that the latest weather information would help the relevant authorities assess conditions and make the necessary arrangements to ensure election operations could be carried out smoothly.

Uggah said the timing of the election remained at the discretion of the EC, while SDMC would continue monitoring the monsoon situation and provide the necessary updates.