SRI AMAN (Bernama): Sarawak Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg (pic) said on Thursday (Oct 21) that his audience with Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Nazrin Shah had only been to discuss matters relating to Covid-19 and not the 12th Sarawak state election.

       He however did not give further details such as when the audience was held.

       "Yes, I was granted an audience with the Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong and had asked on urgent matters relating to Covid-19... that is all, nothing about the state election," he said when responding to media speculation that the Sarawak state assembly would be dissolved on Thursday.

       He was speaking at a media conference after officiating the launch of the Sri Aman Development Agency here.

       Abang Johari said any question of a state election for Sarawak now lay in the hands of Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah.

       "It is not within my power, it is the power of the (Yang di-Pertuan) Agong... if the Agong decrees for an election, then there will be one. I cannot go into further details as it is not within my powers to do so," he said.

       The media has been speculating that the Sarawak state assembly would be dissolved n Thursday (Oct 21) to pave the way for the 12th state election.

       On July 31, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong proclaimed a six-month emergency in Sarawak from Aug 2, 2021, to Feb 2, 2022, in view of the Covid-19 pandemic, thus suspending the state election for that period. - Bernama