Batu Sapi: People's right to choose leader must be exercised after emergency - Warisan

KUALA LUMPUR: Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) hopes that the government can find the best way to ensure a specific date can be set to determine the end of the emergency period in the Batu Sapi Parliamentary constituency.

Its president, Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal said the party was of the opinion that every citizen in Batu Sapi should have a leader who represented them and bring the people's issues to Parliament.

"Warisan hopes that the rights of the people of Batu Sapi to elect a representative will be fulfilled as soon as the COVID-19 infection can be controlled and after the government withdraws the emergency implementation.

"Besides that, Warisan also hopes that during this emergency period, the government guarantees the welfare of every citizen in Batu Sapi, especially food aid and daily necessities will always be given priority without any favouritism," he said in a statement on Thursday.

Commenting further, the Member of Parliament for Semporna said Warisan was grateful to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to consent for an emergency to be implemented in the Batu Sapi Parliamentary constituency.

He explained that Warisan believed that the decree by His Majesty was due to his concern for the health of the people of Sabah, especially in Batu Sapi which was now one of the red zones due to the COVID-19 pandemic infection.

"His Majesty has used his wisdom in the declaration of emergency which thus delayed the implementation of the Batu Sapi Parliamentary By-Election (PRK) scheduled for December 5.

"In implementing the democratic process, the health of the people should not be at stake but should be a priority in the current situation of the country which is still fighting against the spread of COVID-19," he said.

Yesterday, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong consented to a Proclamation of Emergency in the Batu Sapi Parliamentary constituency in Sabah to avoid the by-election as a proactive measure to curb the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic.

Istana Negara's Comptroller of the Royal Household, Datuk Indera Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin said Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah was satisfied with the explanation given by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin who advised him on the proposal.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister assured that the lives of the people will continue as usual even though emergency was declared in Batu Sapi.