THERE will be no curfew or military rule in Batu Sapi, Sabah, said Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin after the parliamentary constituency was placed under emergency rule today.

The prime minister said the constituency in Sandakan will remain subject to the ongoing conditional movement-control order (CMCO) imposed in Sabah.

He said the emergency declared for the area is intended to cancel and postpone the Batu Sapi by-election in order to protect the lives of the people.

“The lives of the people in Batu Sapi will not be affected by this declaration of emergency. There will be no curfew or military-style rule in Batu Sapi.

“Government administration, economic activities and social activities can continue, subject to the practice of new norms and regulations as well as SOP under the conditional movement-control order currently in force in the state of Sabah,” he said in a telecast over television today.

Muhyiddin’s address to the nation came soon after the Yang di-Pertuan Agong assented to a declaration of emergency in Batu Sapi, Sabah as a pre-emptive measure to stop the spread of Covid-19, and as a result, postponing the parliamentary by-election set for December 5.

Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah consented to the emergency after an audience today with Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who carried a proposal from the cabinet. 

“Therefore, Sultan Abdullah has given his consent for the Proclamation of Emergency for P.185 Batu Sapi, Sabah to be implemented as a proactive measure to curb the Covid-19 epidemic,” the palace said in a statement today. 

Muhyiddin said the Batu Sapi by-election will be held immediately after the third Covid-19 wave has ended, subject to the provisions in the federal constitution.

“When the by-election is held, voters will be able to exercise their respective democratic rights in a safer, more peaceful environment,” he said.

He added that several factors had to weighed before the cancellation and postponement of the by-election was proposed.

Firstly, the elections could pose a threat to public health, as it has been revealed that the Sabah state elections was the cause of the third wave of Covid-19 infections in the country, said Muhyiddin.

“Although strict SOP can be set by the Election Commission, compliance with SOP is found to be very weak, which makes this pandemic difficult to control.

“Secondly, the EC faces constraints in assigning election officials due to deep concerns among staff that they themselves may be infected with Covid-19 while on duty.”

He also said there were concerns of cross-district movement among election officials and voters, which is inevitable, and this will increase the risk of Covid-19 transmission to other districts in Sabah.

“There is also concern about the risk of infection among voters in Batu Sapi, especially senior citizens who are at high risk.  

“Of the 32,962 registered voters, a total of 7,377 people or 22.3% aged 60 and above.”

Muhyiddin added that there were also concerns on how the spread of the virus after the by-election will the impact of the social and economic life of the people in Batu Sapi and Sandakan. – November 18, 2020.