They said political gatherings and house visits should be permitted under strict SOPs, and should apply to both urban and rural longhouse or “ruai” settings, with face masks worn by all speakers and attendees.
While accepting that certain restrictions and SOPs need to be in place to keep everyone safe, the CSOs said it would be unacceptable for “inappropriate measures” that effectively deny all political parties and the candidates the opportunity to meet and greet voters in a safe manner.
They also wanted all parties to be given fair and equal access to alternative methods to communicate their manifestos and to introduce their candidates, including through state-owned television and radio stations.
“It will be blatantly unfair for the EC and the federal government to allow the caretaker Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) state government access to voters via their TV Sarawak channel on Astro Awani while all other parties are denied on-air media access.
“It is a suppression of the voters’ right to make an informed decision by knowing or hearing from the contesting parties and their candidates if the SOP does not include this.
“It is imperative for all contesting parties to communicate their manifestos and policies on a level playing field,” they said in a joint statement.
The 17 CSOs included Sarawak Bersih, Sarawak Dayak Iban Association, and Terabai Kenyalang Heritage Association of Sarawak.
Sarawak Bersih chairman Ann Teo presented a memorandum containing the recommendations to state EC director Jasni Jubli today.
The groups also proposed debates among the potential chief minister candidates or party leaders to be telecast on state television and radio channels at least twice – once after nomination day and another two days before polling.
“The EC and the federal government need to instruct private and independent broadcast media outlets to play a greater role during this election by organising discussion panels for candidates from all parties.
“Telecommunication companies also need to be instructed to play a more constructive role by granting Sarawak registered mobile numbers unlimited data usage for the period of the election campaign,” the statement said.
The CSOs also demanded that the EC “enfranchise” Sarawakian voters who live and work in the peninsula and Sabah, pointing out that it has a constitutional responsibility to make special voting arrangements for an estimated 250,000 Sarawakians in these regions.
“(The EC) should allow postal voting to be extended to this category of voters by a gazette pursuant to Regulation 3 (1)(e) of the Elections (Postal Voting) Regulations 2003, or (implement) 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 Melaka 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.”
The CSOs also wanted the EC to extend the time for online applications to be postal voters for this category of Sarawakian voters to three days before nomination day.
Meanwhile, Bernama reported EC chairman Abdul Ghani Salleh as saying that the health ministry, National Security Council (MKN), police and Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (JPBN) are in the midst of updating the Covid-19 Prevention Guidelines for polls.
He said that the guidelines would be announced once they were finalised.