Sekarang bukan masanya untuk Pilihan Raya

October 1, 2020October 1, 2020 - by admin1

Surat kepada Pengarang
1 Oktober 2020

Sekarang bukan masanya untuk Pilihan Raya

Negara kita sekali lagi dilanda ketidaktentuan politik. Anwar Ibrahim telah mengumumkan bahawa beliau telah memperolehi sokongan majoriti untuk membentuk kerajaan yang baharu.

Walaubagaimanapun, dunia politik sememangnya tidak menentu. Kemungkinan besar kita terpaksa melalui pilihan raya mengejut jika situasi tersebut tidak dapat diselesaikan.

Apa yang berlaku di Sabah baru-baru ini adalah pengajaran yang wajar diteliti. Pilihan raya Sabah tercetus akibat percaturan politik oleh Perikatan Nasional dalam memancing “katak-katak” untuk menyertai mereka. Shafie Apdal tiada pilihan dan terpaksa menasihatkan Yang di-Pertua Negeri untuk memansuhkan Dewan Undangan Negeri.

Namun, saya sesungguhnya berpendapat bahawa sekarang bukanlah masanya untuk mengadakan pilihan raya.

Baru-baru ini saya berada di Sabah selama lebih dua minggu ketika pilihan raya berlangsung. Saya ditempatkan di Tawau untuk membantu calon DAP di N69 Sri Tanjong, iaitu Justin Wong.

Sebagaimana yang kita sedia maklum, Tawau merupakan salah satu zon merah Covid-19 ketika pilihan raya sedang berlangsung.

Di pertengahan tempoh berkempen, kami terpaksa membatalkan kebanyakan aktiviti berkempen yang melibatkan kontak rapat dengan orang ramai, seperti melawat ke pasar dan program ceramah. Ini secara langsung telah membataskan kebolehan kami untuk sampai kepada pengundi.

Banyak perniagaan tempatan juga risau tentang jumlah kes Covid-19 yang kian meningkat. Saya mendapati banyak kedai di Tawau dengan sukarelanya menutup atau mengehadkan operasi mereka apabila jumlah kes Covid-19 mula meningkat.

Banyak kedai makan juga mula melarang pelanggan makan di kedai dan hanya membenarkan mereka bungkus dan bawa pulang. Beberapa sekolah dan pasar ditutup oleh pihak berkuasa tempatan, dan mereka juga kemudiannya membuat peraturan bahawa kedai-kedai hendaklah ditutup selepas 6pm.

Saya juga dimaklumkan bahawa banyak penduduk tempatan mula keluar dari Tawau ke bandar-bandar lain kerana risau “lockdown” akan dikenakan semula. Sememangnya, ini adalah bertentangan dengan seruan untuk “balik undi”.

Apabila saya pulang dan tiba di KLIA pada 23 September, tidak ada sebarang pun saringan kesihatan dijalankan di lapangan terbang. Saya boleh berjalan dari pintu ketibaan ke kereta saya tanpa dihentikan oleh sesiapa atau ditanya apa-apa soalan.

Saringan kesihatan dan ujian Covid-19 hanya diwajibkan mulai 27 September, iaitu sehari selapas pilihan raya Sabah. Perintah Kawalan Pergerakan Diperketatkan (PKPD) juga hanya dilaksanakan secara rasmi selepas pilihan raya. Semua ini bukan kebetulan.

Amat jelas bahawa kerajaan telah melambatkan pelaksanaan langkah-langkah ini kerana pilihan raya Sabah.

Perjalanan proses pilihan raya ketika pandemic Covid-19 masih berleluasa adalah suatu ancaman terhadap kesihatan dan keselamatan awam. Pilihan raya Sabah kali ini barangkali telah menyebabkan peningkatan semula jumlah kes Covid-19 di seluruh Malaysia.

Proses pilihan raya tidak mungkin “bebas” dalam situasi sebegini, iaitu apabila kesihatan awam terancam. Sudah pasti banyak pengundi yang tidak akan keluar mengundi kerana risau, dan ini menyebabkan peratusan keluar mengundi menjunam seperti di Sabah.

Seperti yang saya nyatakan, ketidaktentuan politik sekarang kemungkinan akan membawa kepada pilihan raya mengejut. Malah, Perdana Menteri baru-baru ini turut telah berkata bahawa pilihan raya mungkin akan diadakan jika gabungan parti beliau menang di Sabah. Selain itu, pilihan raya negeri Sarawak juga perlu diadakan tidak lama lagi.

Sekarang bukan masanya untuk mengadakan pilihan raya. Saya menyeru kepada semua pihak supaya tidak mengambil risiko sebegini. Kita seharusnya memberi tumpuan untuk membendung Covid-19 yang kini sedang menular semula dan juga untuk memperkuatkan ekonomi negara.

Khoo Poay Tiong
Ahli Parlimen Kota Melaka

Press Statements & Articles

Now is not the time for elections

October 1, 2020October 1, 2020 - by admin1

Letter to the Editor
1 October 2020

Now is not the time for elections

Our country is in the midst of another political uncertainty. Anwar Ibrahim has made an announcement last week that he has obtained a majority support to form a new government.

But nothing is certain in politics. For all we know, we could end up with a snap election if the situation remains unresolved.

The recently concluded Sabah elections is the case in point. It was triggered following the Perikatan Nasional’s political ruse in enticing “kataks” to join them. Shafie Apdal had little choice but to call for the dissolution of the state assembly.

However, I strongly believe that now is not the time for any further elections.

I was Sabah for over two weeks during the election period. I was based in Tawau to assist DAP’s candidate, Justin Wong, for the N69 Sri Tanjong constituency.

As we know, Tawau was one of the Covid-19 red zone leading up to the election day.

Midway through the campaign, we had to cancel most of the campaigning activities which involved physical contact, such as walkabouts and ceramahs. This greatly hindered our ability to reach out to voters.

Many local businesses were fearful of the surge in Covid-19 cases. I noticed that many shops in Tawau voluntarily closed or limited their operations as the number of cases increased.

Some food stalls stopped their dining-in service and only allowed take-aways. Several schools and markets were closed by the local authority, and the local authority eventually made a regulation requiring shops to close at 6pm.

I was also told that many locals started heading out of Tawau to other cities in anticipation of a lockdown. This was indeed the reversal of the call to “balik undi”.

When I arrived back in KLIA on 23 September, there were no health screening at all in the airport. I could walk from the arrival gate to my car without being stopped or any questions asked. The mandatory testing only started on 27 September, a day after the elections.

It was no coincidence that the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) and mandatory testing was only imposed officially a day after the Sabah elections.

It was clear that the government was holding it back, despite many of the restrictions, such as roadblocks and shortening of business hours, had already started gradually a week before.

Having elections during a pandemic such as Covid-19 is a serious threat to public health and safety. The Sabah elections may have escalated the recent resurgence in Covid-19 cases throughout Malaysia.

Elections would not be “free” under such circumstances because public health is at stake. Voters would rightly not come out to vote due to fear, resulting in a low voter turnout as in the case of Sabah.

As I have mentioned, the ongoing political uncertainty could lead to a snap election. In fact, the Prime Minister himself has said that he may call for an early election if his coalition wins in Sabah. Additionally, the Sarawak state election is also due soon.

Now is not the time for elections. I urge all parties to not take such risks. We should instead be focusing on containing the Covid-19 resurgence and strengthening our economy.

Khoo Poay Tiong
MP Kota Melaka