Malaysia’s King Consents to Lift Emergency in Sarawak State

(Bloomberg) -- Malaysia’s king ended the emergency in Sarawak months ahead of schedule, paving the way for the Borneo state to dissolve its state assembly and elect a new local government.

The decision was made on the advice of Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob as well as the views of government agency heads during meetings with the king within the past couple of days, according to a palace statement on Wednesday. The emergency was set to end on Feb. 2, 2022.

“His majesty expressed his concerns about rising Covid infections should the Sarawak state election be held,” according to the statement. “However, consent was given for the sake of democracy and to return the power and mandate to the people to form a new state government.” 

The five-year term of the Sarawak legislative assembly was due to end on June 6, which would have required a state election to be held within 60 days. The polls were put off indefinitely due to the Covid-induced emergency. New cases have since fallen as Malaysia ramped up vaccination efforts, allowing the country to gradually lift lockdown measures.

Political parties are already gearing up for an election in the Malacca state in the coming weeks, the first popularity contest for Ismail since he took office in August. Fines have been issued to program organizers for failing to adhere to virus protocols, the Health Ministry said in a statement Tuesday.

A spike in infections after an election in Sabah state last year fueled public anger against former premier Muhyiddin Yassin, helping to precipitate the fall of his government in August.

Sarawak is home to some of the largest aluminium smelters, hydroelectric dams and plantation estates in Southeast Asia.

©2021 Bloomberg L.P.