Deputy Premier cautions against early polls after Negeri Sembilan, Johor assemblies dissolved

Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian (file photo)

By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, June 5: In light of the recent dissolution of the state assemblies in Negeri Sembilan and Johor, Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian expressed hope that calling elections just a few years into a five-year mandate would not become the norm.

In a Facebook post, he said the matter is not about checks and balances, but rather about betraying the responsibility given by the people and that political stability is crucial for long-term development.

Citing his experience living in Australia, where a federal election is held every three years, he implied that the term is too short for the ruling government to achieve anything.

He said when he arrived in Melbourne in 1981, it was supposed to have a 23km railway from the city to the airport and that 45 years later, with a population of 5.44 million, residents still talk about the subject matter.

“Imagine one government saying we need to build a railway from city to airport, but in less than three years, before the preparations can be called—feasibility studies, necessary paperwork, land acquisition, consultancy, and tender—another new government comes in and cancels the project,” he said.

He then contrasted this with Kuching’s Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) project, launched in 2022 under Sarawak’s leadership, noting that construction has already reached about 35 per cent completion and that the Blue Line is expected to begin operations this year.

On Tuesday (June 2), the Johor assembly was dissolved, following the Negeri Sembilan assembly, which was dissolved today, and it was reported that the moves stemmed from political tensions in both states.

Dr Sim then compared the lack of political unity with its presence, noting that the former brings chaos, while the latter brings stability, prosperity, and nation-building. — DayakDaily