‘Scary possibility’ Putrajaya will take over S’wak govt if emergency extended: lawyer
“The current state assembly automatically expires this June 7 if no state election is called before that date.
(The Vibes) – What will happen to the Sarawak administration if the emergency is extended further and the state cannot hold its 12th state election within 60 days of automatic dissolution of the state assembly on June 7?
Senior lawyer Datuk Lawrence Lai said there is an “unlikely yet scary possibility” that the state government could be “taken over” by the federal government.
“If Sarawak cannot hold its 12th state election by then, a new state government cannot be formed,” said the Miri-based lawyer.
“The current state assembly automatically expires this June 7 if no state election is called before that date.
“The Election Commission has 60 days from the date of automatic dissolution to call for the 12th state election, meaning that the state election must be concluded and official results must be announced by August 7.
“If the prime minister seeks a prolonged extension of the emergency beyond August 1 and the Yang di-Pertuan Agong approves… legally speaking, will the management of Sarawak end up in the hands of the National Security Council?”
