PETALING JAYA: Election watchdog Bersih 2.0 has called on the Election Commission (EC) to allow Sarawakians living in the peninsula to vote without having to fly back to their constituencies.

       In a statement by its steering committee, it said this can be done by categorising them as absentee voters and allowing them to vote in advance at centralised voting centres, at least one in each state in the peninsula.

       The election watchdog also said that the lifting of the Proclamation of Emergency for Sarawak on Wednesday, paving the way for the state election within 60 days, has disenfranchised young voters.

       This is because, with Undi18 and automatic voter registration scheduled for implementation only at the end of this year, there would be insufficient time for many young voters – an estimated 666,000 Sarawakians – to be registered.

       They would otherwise be eligible to vote for the first time, it said.

       “It would be reasonable to assume the lifting of the emergency – which was not due until February 2 – to trigger the election, was a political calculation to disenfranchise young voters,” the steering committee said.

       Such a move could backfire on the GPS government and the federal government when facing these same young voters in less than two years in the 15th General Election for federal seats.

       Bersih 2.0 also urged the Health Ministry to work with the EC to facilitate safe voting and campaigning, adding that the EC must also facilitate alternative safe ways of election campaigning for all candidates and political parties.

       It said that state-owned media – RTM and Bernama – can provide equal air time to all candidates and political parties to advertise their political campaigns, including debates on radio and television, thus ensuring fair news coverage.

       “This is important, especially in the interior areas of Sarawak where radio and television are the main sources of information for the rakyat,” it added.