KUALA LUMPUR: The Johor state election would require stricter Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOP) than those enforced in the recently concluded Sarawak or Melaka state polls due to skyrocketing infections.
Political analyst and law lecturer Professor Dr Nik Ahmad Kamal Nik Mahmood said stakeholders would be remiss to assume the exponential rise in cases, fuelled by the Omicron variant, in the past few days, would not continue until the election, set to take place on March 12.
"The scenario is different from Melaka when cases were declining. At this point, I don't see infections going down a month from now in time for polling day. Unlike Sarawak, they should rescind the allowance for ceramah as Johor, like Melaka, has sufficient Internet coverage.
"The Election Commission (EC) should also reconsider the request to seek an allowance for walkabouts," he added, saying door-to-door campaigning and mass gatherings should be banned like before as cases had crossed the 20,000 mark on Friday.
Walkabouts were allowed in over 60 state constituencies that were deemed rural in Sarawak and beyond the reach of proper Internet coverage.
Barely 24 hours before nomination day for the Sarawak state election on Dec 6 last year, the EC also announced that ceramah or speech events would be allowed during the campaign period.
For Melaka, campaigning was restricted to online ceramah and moving vehicles parading candidates and election paraphernalia.
Nik Ahmad Kamal also said that in approving the SOP, members of the National Security Council (NSC) should be guided by the fact that the polls are taking place at a risky juncture.
"The guiding principle should be on conducting polls safely during such a drastic spike. Hence, the Health director-general's recommendations and advice on SOP should be the law that is strictly followed."
He also said the same message should be conveyed to politicians as well as enforcement authorities.
"If authorities, like the EC, do not enforce them properly or put their foot down, the blame would fall on them when there is a spike triggered by the polls."
He also said that politicians should also strictly follow the SOP as any backlash would be felt in the 15th General Election — due to the number of seats in the state, the ire of Johor voters was something both sides of the political divide could ill-afford.
On Friday, Johor Umno Information chief Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba urged the EC to give its assurance that the implementation of the state election would protect voters, especially during the campaign period.
During the unveiling of the nomination and polling day for the election earlier this week, EC chairman Datuk Abdul Ghani Salleh said the SOP would be prepared by the commission and updated by the Health Ministry and the NSC.