Hajiji described it as a wise decision considering the fact that the Covid-19 pandemic continued to threaten the people’s health and well-being in Sabah.
“The need to stop the spread of the virus and protect the people’s health is of paramount importance,” he said in a statement commenting on the Istana Negara announcement.
Hajiji assured that the state government, through the Sabah Covid-19 disaster management committee, was working with the relevant authorities to contain the pandemic in the state.
In a statement earlier, Comptroller of the Royal Household Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin said Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah made the decision to prevent a fourth wave of Covid-19 outbreaks.
The government said another date would be set for the by-election later.
The Batu Sapi parliamentary seat was declared vacant following the death of its Warisan incumbent Liew Vui Keong on Oct 2 due to illness.
The Election Commission had previously declared Nov 23 as nomination day, Dec 1 for early voting and Dec 5 as polling day.
Meanwhile, Hajiji’s predecessor Shafie Apdal also welcomed the decision, saying the King had shown wisdom as well as genuine concern towards the well-being of Sabahans, particularly in Batu Sapi, which is still a red zone.
At the same time, the Warisan president hoped the government would find the best way to ensure a new date was set for the by-election in order to inform Batu Sapi constituents when the emergency would end.
“Warisan believes that every citizen in Batu Sapi must have a leader who should represent them in bringing their issues to Parliament.
“We hope the rights of the Batu Sapi people in electing their representative will be fulfilled once the infections are under control and after the government lifts the emergency,” he said in a statement.
Shafie also urged the government to guarantee that the welfare of Batu Sapi folk would be taken care of, particularly in terms of food aid and other daily assistance.
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