[ENGLISH VERSION BELOW] Selepas pilihan raya negeri Melaka yang baru sahaja berakhir, kini sekali lagi tumpuan seluruh negara terarah kepada pilihan raya negeri Sarawak yang telah diumumkan Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya beberapa hari lepas.

Gabungan Pilihan Raya Bersih dan Adil (Bersih) mengikuti dengan dekat pengumuman oleh SPR tersebut.

Bersih memandang serius tempoh berkempen yang terlalu singkat dengan hanya 12 hari seperti diumumkan SPR untuk pilihan raya Melaka sebelumnya dan sekarang untuk pilihan raya Sarawak.

Sarawak adalah sebuah negeri terbesar dan mempunyai bilangan kerusi dewan undangan negeri terbanyak di Malaysia, maka mustahil tempoh berkempen sesingkat ini dapat memberi keadilan kepada pengundi dan calon yang bertanding.

Rekod sebelum ini pun, pilihan raya kecil selepas pilihan raya ymum 2018 dan pilihan raya Sabah telah diperuntukkan 14 hari bagi tempoh berkempen.

Sewajarnya, tempoh ideal untuk waktu berkempen sekurang-kurangnya 21 hari bagi pilihan raya Sarawak kali ini supaya undi pos sempat sampai ke peti undi dan calon dan parti mempunyai lebih masa untuk berkempen dalam keadaan yang terkawal dalam pandemik.

Walaupun hari pengundian jatuh pada hari Sabtu namun masih terdapat banyak syarikat, organisasi atau individu yang bekerja pada hari tersebut.

Bersih menyarankan kerajaan Sarawak mengumumkan hari kelepasan am khas pada hari pengundian 18 Disember nanti, seperti diumumkan kerajaan Melaka sebelum ini bagi memberi lebih kemudahan dan keselesaan kepada para pengundi keluar membuang undi.

Bersih juga mencadangkan supaya sekurang-kurangnya satu pusat pengundian khas disediakan di setiap negeri bagi membenarkan pengundi Sarawak membuang undi di mana sahaja mereka berada dalam Malaysia. Untuk rekod, dianggarkan sejumlah 250,000 orang rakyat Sarawak menetap di semenanjung Malaysia dan Sabah.

Mengikut semakan semasa harga tiket kapal terbang ke Sarawak dari Semenanjung hampir mencecah RM3,000. Amatlah tidak adil untuk pengundi Sarawak lebih-lebih lagi yang kurang berkemampuan untuk membiayai kos perjalanan semahal itu bagi menjalankan tanggungjawab mereka. Juga mustahil untuk pengundi berulang-alik sebanyak dua kali dalam tempoh singkat memandangkan perayaan Krismas jatuh pada minggu berikutnya.

Bersih mendesak supaya prosedur operasi standard benar-benar dikaji semula supaya prosedur yang tidak masuk akal seperti ketika pilihan raya Melaka tidak lagi berulang.

Memandangkan faktor geografi, kekurangan infrastruktur dan akses maklumat yang amat terhad di Sarawak khususnya di pedalaman dan pinggir bandar, kempen bersemuka amatlah mendesak dan perlu dibenarkan. Calon-calon bertanding berhak menyampaikan maklumat kempen kepada pengundinya.

Sementara, bagi pengundi untuk celik membuat pilihan dengan baik siapakah calon-calon yang bakal membawa suara mereka kelak dalam dewan undangan negeri, kerajaan melalui SPR, Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia dan Majlis Keselamatan Negara mestilah mengeluarkan prosedur operasi standard baharu yang lebih adil kepada semua demi mewujudkan persaingan di atas padang yang sama rata. Prosedur operasi standard sewajarnya dikeluarkan lebih awal dengan sesegera yang mungkin sebelum hari penamaan calon agar semua pihak terlibat mempunyai waktu persiapan yang cukup.

Akhir sekali, Bersih juga meminta supaya saluran televisyen milik kerajaan seperti RTM dan TVS menawarkan ruang dan peluang kempen secara percuma kepada semua calon yang berkempen di Sarawak secara adil. Ia akan membantu calon yang kurang berkemampuan dari segi jentera dan wang untuk menyampaikan tawaran-tawaran mereka kepada pengundi dengan lebih baik.

Pilihan raya negeri Sarawak kali ini harus berjalan dengan adil dan saksama demi menjamin masa depan rakyat Sarawak yang cerah dan makmur. – Bersih

English version

Sarawakians have the right to a fair election

After the Malacca state election, now once again the focus of the whole country is on the Sarawak state election, which was announced by the Election Commission a few days ago.

The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) closely followed the announcement by the Election Commission.

Bersih expresses serious concern about the campaign period, which is too short with only 12 days, as announced by the Election Commission for the previous Malacca election and now for the Sarawak election.

Sarawak is the largest state and has the largest number of state assembly seats in Malaysia. Such a short campaign period will not do justice to the voters involved and the candidates who are contesting.

For the record, the by-elections held after the 2018 general election and the Sabah election last year were all allocated 14 days or more for the campaign periods.

The ideal period for campaigning time is at least 21 days for the Sarawak election this time so that postal votes can reach the ballot box in time and candidates and political parties have more time to campaign in this highly controlled situation under the pandemic.

Although polling day falls on a Saturday, there are still many companies, organisations and individuals who will be still working on that day. Bersih calls on the Sarawak government to declare polling day on 18 December as a special public holiday, as done by the Malacca state government to make it convenient for voters to come out to cast their votes.

Bersih also proposes that at least one special polling station be set up in each state to allow Sarawak voters who are living in those states to cast their votes without having to fly back to Sarawak. There are an estimated 250,000 Sarawakians living in Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah.

A recent check on the flight tickets to Sarawak from the Peninsula shows they cost almost RM3,000. This is extremely unfair for Sarawak voters, especially the majority that cannot afford such expensive travel expenses, as they would be deprived of their right to vote. It is also impossible for voters to commute twice in a short period as Christmas falls the following week.

Bersih urges that the standard operating procedures be thoroughly reviewed so that the procedures that do not make sense like in the Malacca election will no longer be repeated in the Sarawak election.

Given geographical factors, the lack of infrastructure and very limited access to information in Sarawak, especially in the rural and suburbs, face-to-face campaigning is a need and has to be allowed. Contesting candidates have the right to communicate campaign information to their voters.

Meanwhile, for the voters to make an informed decision in the election, the government, through the Election Commission, the Ministry of Health Malaysia and the National Security Council, must issue a new standard operating procedure that is fairer to all in order to create a level playing field. The procedure should be issued as early as possible before nomination day so that all parties involved have sufficient preparation time.

Finally, Bersih also urges that government-owned television channels such as RTM and TVS offer fair access to media air time to all candidates and political parties contesting in the Sarawak election. This will help level the playing field, especially for candidates who have fewer resources at their disposal to convey their campaign messages to voters.

The Sarawak state election must be run freely and fairly to ensure a bright and democratic future for the people of Sarawak. – Bersih

The views expressed in Aliran's media statements and the NGO statements we have endorsed reflect Aliran's official stand. Views and opinions expressed in other pieces published here do not necessarily reflect Aliran's official position.

AGENDA RAKYAT - Lima perkara utama

1. Tegakkan maruah serta kualiti kehidupan rakyat
2. Galakkan pembangunan saksama, lestari serta tangani krisis alam sekitar
3. Raikan kerencaman dan keterangkuman
4. Selamatkan demokrasi dan angkatkan keluhuran undang-undang
5. Lawan rasuah dan kronisme

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