Sarawak DAP chairperson Chong Chieng Jen has urged Chief Minister Adenan Satem to stop army personnel and police from the peninsula based in Sarawak from voting in the upcoming state election.

Claiming that the postal voters run into more than a hundred thousand, he said that Adenan should walk the talk to preserve the state autonomy.

“Since Adenan has been talking a lot on Sarawak autonomy, I urge him and the Election Commission to stop army personnel, police(men) and their family members from West Malaysia from voting in this state election.

“They are not Sarawakians; we are here to elect a Sarawak government,” Chong, the incumbent Kota Sentosa assemblyperson, told a press conference at the state DAP headquarters in Kuching today.

Chong claimed that in his constituency, army voters have been increasing steadily from 1,800 in 2006, to 2,900 in 2011, and 3,300 in 2016.

He also said as a result of the delineation exercise, his seat has become marginalised. A new constituency – Batu Kitang – was crafted out of his seat, breaking up 6,000 pro-opposition voters, he said.

Lack of transparency

The postal vote, he added, lacks transparency.

Chong also pointed out that while Sarawak is barring peninsular opposition leaders - people who do not have vote in Sarawak from campaigning for their parties in the state - Adenan has been relying on the army, police, and their accompanying family members to secure BN's victory.

“We can't get in to campaign, but they have 100,000 army (postal voters); that's ridiculous,” he said, referring to Sarawak immigration which has been stopping peninsular-based party leaders from entering the state.

At least 30 opposition leaders and activists, including DAP national organising secretary Anthony Loke, as well as the party's Kulai MP Teo Nie Ching and Kluang MP Liew Chin Tong, have been deported upon arrival in Sarawak in recent weeks.

Sarawak has cited its autonomy over immigration control while the opposition has called it an abuse of power.