SARAWAK’S Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister says an investigation should be made on the “leak” of the federal government’s gazette on the proclamation of a localised emergency for the state before the prime minister or Yang di-Pertuan Agong made the announcement.

Abdul Karim Hamzah said the person or persons who leaked it “should be reprimanded”.

“If it is true (the leak), I believe some civil servants should be reprimanded for leaking the information even before it’s announced.

“The offices of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and prime minister have not even made the announcement and here we see the gazette on the new Emergency for Sarawak (has been) viralled,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

The Prime Minister’s Office only issued a statement on the six-month extension of the localised emergency – from Monday (August 2) to February 2 – just before noon.

It stated the cabinet at its meeting on July 21 agreed to advise the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to extend the Emergency Proclamation for the whole of Sarawak after the current state of emergency expires on Sunday.

It added the Agong, after consultation with the Sarawak government, approved the extension.

“An Emergency Proclamation for the whole state of Sarawak should be declared to postpone the Sarawak state legislative assembly general election to prevent the spread of Covid-19 becoming more serious,” the statement said.

It added: “With this Emergency proclamation, the Sarawak state legislative assembly general election will not be held during the emergency period in force unless the emergency is terminated earlier”.

Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister James Masing said the state election could still take place “within the next week if we can flatten the Covid-19 curve”.

Masing said if that happens, the state would then advise the Agong to lift the Emergency.

“Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) needs to get the mandate from the people of Sarawak to administer this country for the next five years,” he said in reference to the state’s ruling coalition.

“(Chief Minister) Abang Johari needs to get his own mandate to be the chief minister of Sarawak, the sooner the better, but without endangering the health of Sarawakians.”

Masing said he is quite confident that with stringent SOPs (standard operating procedures), “we can hold the election without endangering the public’s health”.

“Sabah Covid-19 experience is a lesson learnt and not a lesson followed,” he said of the spike in cases in Sabah and the peninsula after the state’s snap state election at the end of last year.

“Other nations like Singapore, New Zealand, South Korea, including the US, have held elections (during) the pandemic without (any) devastating impact on the population.” – July 31, 2021.