GE15: Sabah Cabinet to discuss pre-polling day holiday

TUARAN: The Sabah state government has yet to decide whether to declare a special holiday on Friday (Nov 18) – a day before voting – like some other states have, says Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.

The Sabah Chief Minister added that the matter will be brought up to the state Cabinet before any decision is made.

“We will think about it first. Let’s not rush to announce it,” he told reporters after launching Sabah Advent Secondary School's new building here, 40km north-east of Kota Kinabalu.

As a sign of gratitude if Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) wins the 15th General Election (GE15), the coalition chairman also said that a special holiday after the vote will also be considered.

“If we win big here in Sabah, why not (give a holiday after GE15)?

“The holiday will be our act of gratitude towards the rakyat and voters who long for a stable political situation and government,” he said on Thursday (Nov 10).

It was previously announced that several states have declared Nov 18 as a special holiday to give way for voters to exercise their democratic rights more conveniently.

The states were Penang, Selangor and Negri Sembilan. Polling day will take place on Saturday (Nov 19).

Meanwhile, as some sectors would still require work on weekends, Parti Warisan vice-president Datuk Darell Leiking said the GRS-led state government should also declare a public holiday for polling day.

"Many, if not most Sabahans work on Saturday.

"I understand that it could disrupt the operations of companies, but it would also be wrong to prevent people from exercising their voting rights in choosing the next Federal Government,” he said.

He added that employers could also consider adjusting their shifts to help mitigate any disruptions in their operations.

Previously, Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) told employers to facilitate voting time for employees during the polls by granting reasonable paid time off between 8am and 5.30pm.

Its president Datuk Dr Syed Hussin Syed Husman said under the Election Offences Act 1954, employers are obliged to allow their employees who are registered voters a reasonable period of paid time off for voting.

On Oct 16, the Human Resource Ministry also announced that action will be taken against any employer who does not allow voters time to perform their voting duty.