PM: Wait for Agong’s decree on state election
KUCHING: Do not pre-empt the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s decree, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob when asked if the Election Commission (EC) had come up with plans to conduct Sarawak’s12th state election.
“Not yet. Dissolution (of State Legislative Assembly, or DUN), revocation of the Emergency, all that, don’t pre-empt the King. Just wait,” he told a press conference after visiting the construction site of the Petra Jaya Hospital here yesterday.
In a gazette notification dated July 29, Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah decreed that the Emergency in Sarawak had been extended from Aug 2 this year to Feb 2, 2022 in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Proclamation of Emergency, made under Clause (1) of Article 150 of the Federal Constitution, means that elections for DUN Sarawak are suspended.
On another note, Ismail Sabri hinted that there might be good news for Sarawak in the Malaysia Budget 2022, to be tabled in Parliament next week.
“God-willing. Just wait for the announcement,” he said.
Ismail Sabri noted that this was his first working visit to Sarawak as a prime minister and that he was here to get the real picture on the state’s overall development.
On the Petra Jaya Hospital project, he hoped it would truly be completed by 2024 for the benefit of the people living around it requiring the facility.
“The placement of certain specialists will also be discussed with the Ministry of Health.
“If no monitoring is done on a project, that’s why a project would fail. We took action after it failed, by appointing a ‘rescue contractor’. If possible we don’t want any more rescue contractor. The important thing is for the contractor to be monitored and have the works completed,” he said. He pointed out that besides dashing the hopes of the people who had been wanting to have a hospital nearby, the delay was also costly.
“The costs would surely increase if there’s a delay. This hospital has already incurred costs due to its delay,” he said.
Petra Jaya Hospital’s construction took off in May 2013 and was originally scheduled for completion in November 2016.
A new contractor was appointed to handle the delay-plagued project. Upon its completion, the new hospital would be able to provide 300 beds.
Accompanying the Prime Minister during the visit were Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, Senior Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, and Local Government and Housing Minister Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian.