Sarawak Polls: Nomination to start at 9am

KUCHING: Election hopefuls for the state polls will be submitting their nomination papers on Monday (Dec 6).

The submission process at 82 designated nomination centres statewide is from 9am.

The process will take place for an hour and will close at 10am.

Once the papers have been reviewed, returning officers will announce those eligible to become candidates for the respective seats.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, there will be no fanfare during the nomination process.

The Election Commission (EC) only allows for the candidate, proposer and seconder or any two of them to enter the nomination centre to submit the candidates’ nomination papers.

As forecasted by the Malaysian Meteorological Department, nomination day will be greeted with wet weather.

It is still raining in many parts of the state as of 8am.

Candidates and political parties are given 12 days to campaign before polling day on Dec 18 as set by the EC.

Early voting has been set on Dec 14.

The Sarawak state election was postponed after the tenure of the last state legislative assembly ended on June 6 following the Emergency Proclamation by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah from Jan 11 to Aug 1 to stop the spread of Covid-19.

When the Emergency ended, the King once again declared a state of Emergency in Sarawak from Aug 2 to Feb 2, 2022.

The Emergency was lifted on Nov 3, resulting in the automatic dissolution of the state assembly and paving the way for a new state election.

The 12th Sarawak election will involve 1,252,014 eligible voters, with 1,228,858 ordinary voters, 12,585 military personnel and their spouses, 10,458 police personnel and spouses as well as 113 absentee overseas voters.

There will be 1,951 polling centres with 3,666 voting stations/channels, with 46,565 individuals appointed to manage the election.