SARAWAK civil societies groups have urged the Election Commission and the Ministry of Health to go easy on the standard operating procedure (SOP) which will be enforced in the run-up to the state polls next month and to ensure it is practical to all.

They said it will be unacceptable if the authorities impose “inappropriate measures” that will deny political parties and candidates the chance to meet and greet voters in a safe manner.

The group of 17 civil society organisations (CSO), which submitted a memorandum to the EC in Kuching today, includes Persatuan Pemangkin Daya Masyarakat, Undi Sarawak, Terabai Kenyalang Heritage Association of Sarawak, Save Rivers, Keep Green Movement – People Associate Development Education Penan Sarawak and Lawyer Kamek for Change.

They said that while they understand and accept that certain restrictions and limits need to be in place for physical campaigning, they do not accept measures that deny political parties and candidates the opportunity to meet voters.

The memorandum was handed by Bersih Sarawak coordinator Anne Teo to Sarawak state elections director Jasni Jubli.

The CSO made it clear that some SOP imposed in the just-concluded Malacca elections, like the almost total ban on physical campaigning, is unacceptable in Sarawak.

They said the Covid-19 safety constraints should be accompanied by alternatives, like free airtime for political broadcasts over state-owned television and radio stations.

“These measures must allow political parties to communicate and transmit their manifestos, introduce their candidates and put forward their policy arguments to the voters,” the group said.

They said denying the political candidates these measures is tantamount to “suppression of the voters’ right to make an informed decision by knowing, hearing from contesting parties and their candidates”.

As the Sarawak SOP is reportedly not ready yet, the CSO has taken the opportunity to make some recommendations for the EC to consider.

On top of the list is for political gatherings or ceramah to be allowed.

For house-to-house visits and face-to-face meetings, the CSO  suggested that the number of campaigners allowed to be part of a group be limited to three persons.

While campaigning in longhouses, they must be banned from entering the house or “bilik”. They should meet the residents outside the longhouse or have the meeting at the ruai – the longhouse common area.

On airtime, the CSO reminded the EC it has the power and can request government-owned TV and radio companies, including Sarawak government-owned TV Sarawak, to provide designated broadcast slots over both stations that “is fair to all contesting parties and independents for party political broadcasts”.

“Time allotted should be based on a fair and equitable formula but each broadcast must be no less than five minutes and no more than 15 minutes.

“These broadcasts must be aired at least twice a day during peak viewing hours,” they added.

The CSO said debates between potential chief minister candidates or party leaders need to be organised and aired on TV.

The telecast on state television and radio channels should be at least twice – once after nomination day and another to be broadcast two days before polling day, they suggested.

The CSO also said telcos should grant Sarawak registered handphone numbers unlimited data usage for the period of the election campaign to facilitate the sharing and receiving of campaign broadcasts by political party and candidates through online and social media platforms.

They said the EC and the federal government need to instruct the telcos on how to play a more constructive role in the elections.

They added innovative protocols are necessary in Sarawak due to the difficulties and peculiarities of the constituencies, many of which are geographically large and have sporadic and inconsistent telecommunication facilities and non-existent Internet coverage.

On absentee voting for Sarawak folk working and residing in the peninsula and Sabah, the CSO, in the memorandum, demanded that the EC enfranchise these group of voters.

“The EC has a constitutional responsibility to make special voting arrangements for an estimated 250,000 diaspora Anak Sarawak to vote.”

They suggested postal voting be extended to these categories of voters or have a special advance voting.

“If voters who live and work in Singapore and Brunei are now allowed by the EC to vote via postal voting as per the Malacca and forthcoming Sarawak elections, then voters residing in the peninsula and Sabah should be accorded the same access by expanding the existing absentee voting methods to them.

“After all, Singapore and Brunei are as far away from parts of Sarawak as the Semenanjung and Sabah.

“Thus, not to allow Sarawak voters in Semenanjung and Sabah to vote via absentee voting is to deliberately disenfranchise Sarawak voters,” the group said. – November 24, 2021.