Bersih Ticks Off Abang Jo For Elevating Gedong To District Amid Polls

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Abang Johari Openg announcing the elevation of Gedong to a district yesterday. (Bernama pic)KUCHING: Caretaker chief minister Abang Johari Openg has been taken to task by electoral watchdog Bersih for the recent elevation of Gedong to a district.
Abang Johari, who had been the Satok assemblyman for 30 years, is contesting the Gedong seat in the Dec 18 state elections.
Yesterday, the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) chairman launched Gedong’s elevation to a district, one of five new districts approved by the state administration this year.
Bersih chairman Thomas Fann said the ruling coalition should be operating in a limited capacity since it was only a caretaker state government, following the dissolution of the state assembly.
He told FMT that Abang Johari’s launching of Gedong as a new district was in violation of the principle of free and fair elections since he was contesting there.
“However, it is unfortunate that there are no existing laws to regulate the role of a caretaker government at the moment,” he said.
Checks on social media found that several netizens had lashed out at Abang Johari over the elevation of Gedong, with some describing it as a “bait” for voters.
Facebook user Joepb Joepb said it was “a typical act” during elections, urging Gedong voters to “be careful” as there were many baits placed.
“If you vote wrongly, then you’re done for. You must think about your grandchildren’s future and the land that you still have,” he said.
Another Facebook user, Thew Matt, said the status upgrade was just a way to win voters over.
“If only the voters knew the ‘sins’ of the candidate (Abang Johari) and why he ran there,” he said.
Another user was more sarcastic, describing Abang Johari as being “smart” in dishing out goodies in Gedong so that he could “collect it back” in the future. - FMT

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