Govt studying possibility of new act on elections during Covid-19 - minister

 

PARLIAMENT | The government will be studying a proposal to formulate a specific act concerning the election process to curb the spread of Covid-19 pandemic.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Special Functions) Mohd Redzuan Md Yusof said it could not be denied that elections such as the Sabah state election in September, which involved large gatherings, have resulted in a spike of Covid-19 cases in the country.

“Election is under the jurisdiction of the Election Commission (EC), and I am unable to provide further information on whether a by-election or a general election can or cannot be held, but the government is always monitoring.

“If need be, create a specific act, the government is studying and making proposals to the people,” he said during question time at Dewan Rakyat today.

He was replying to a supplementary question by Jalaluddin Alias (BN-Jelebu) on whether the government would draft an act to shorten the campaign period or a new campaign method to contain the spread of Covid-19.

In this regard, Mohd Redzuan said the mechanism of national crisis management implemented now has succeeded in controlling Covid-19 infection and avoided getting health facilities such as hospitals and clinics from being burdened by the high number of cases.

He said the mechanism included the implementation of the movement control order (MCO), conditional MCO, enhanced MCO and recovery MCO with the standard operating procedures (SOP) focusing on health protocol practices and new normal.

He was replying to the original question by Fong Kui Lum (PH-Bukit Bintang) on the government’s preparedness measures to curb the outbreak. - Mkini