Covid-19 related restrictions, as seen in the current campaigning process for the Melaka state election, would mean having to reach voters through online campaigns. Rural and semi-rural areas, they noted, had poor or no internet connectivity or even reliable phone lines and, therefore, online campaigning was impractical.

This, they said, would give an advantage to the government as it could still use its resources to overcome the limitations of online campaigning.

Mas Gading MP Mordi Bimol said unlike in urban areas where campaigning could be done online using Facebook Live, the rural and some semi-rural areas still had problems with internet and even phone line connectivity.

The DAP MP was commenting on the government’s decision to lift the state of emergency in Sarawak, paving the way for a state election that has been due since June.

Mordi said even though certain rural areas, such as Mas Gading, were only half an hour’s drive from Kuching Airport, they still experienced very poor internet connectivity.

“The internet is often very slow or there’s no line at all. Internet infrastructure is a basic need that should have long been solved.

“I believe every candidate who will be contesting in areas like these, not just the opposition, will find campaigning a challenge,” he told FMT.

However, he noted that the government would have an advantage as it would be able to draw on government-related resources in the campaign.

Sarawak state PKR secretary Joshua Jabeng, an Iban, was more direct, saying: “They want to cripple the opposition. Online campaigning and restrictions will mean we cannot mobilise our machinery.”

He agreed that campaigning in the rural areas would especially pose a problem due to poor or no internet connectivity.

However, he said, PKR would not give up and would use all its resources to overcome the challenge.

“I believe the government will make use of Bernama to get their messages across, and they’ll use enforcement officers to harass us during the election and catch us for all kinds of election or Covid-19 SOP related regulations. We’ll see that very soon,” he said, referring to PKR and other parties being slapped with fines during the current campaigning for the Melaka state election.

“This is why I urge the younger generation, who I believe are more educated, to inform their parents and villagers on what is happening in our country’s politics,” he said.

Stampin MP Chong Chieng Jen concurred that if the same SOPs in Melaka were to be imposed for the Sarawak polls, it would be a huge disadvantage for the opposition.

“There will be no ceramah, house-to-house campaigning and meet-up sessions with the rakyat. All will be non-existent,” he said.

However, he said, the caretaker government could still go about “dishing out goodies” and controlling the mainstream media.

“The analogy I would use is that before this we could get in the ring with BN (Barisan Nasional) with one hand, but now both our hands and legs are tied,” he said.

He asked why the government could not wait for about three more months.

“The Undi18 voter registration is just three months away. If they go ahead with the polls before it, these young people will be denied their voting right and will have to wait another five years,” he said.

PKR’s Joshua said the reason the Sarawak government did not want to wait for the Undi18 process to be completed was clear: it was afraid that the younger voters would vote for the opposition.

Law minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar had previously told the Dewan Rakyat that the registration of 18-year-olds as voters and the automatic voter registration process were expected to be implemented by the end of the year.

“The EC is committed to implementing them, latest by Dec 31, 2021,” he had said.

Although the emergency was lifted in the rest of the country in September, it was extended in Sarawak until February next year in light of the pandemic and amid fears that an election could spark a fresh wave of infections, as happened when Sabah held its election in 2020.

However, on Nov 3, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong agreed to lift the state of emergency early, after meeting the prime minister and top government officials.

The Election Commission will hold a special meeting on Nov 24 to discuss the Sarawak state election, after which it is likely to announce dates for nomination and polling.