Abdul Karim Rahman thinks Sarawak’s upcoming state election (PRN) might—and perhaps should—take place alongside the next national general election (PRU), arguing that a joint poll would be more sensible from logistical and financial perspectives.

In his remarks today, the Minister of Sarawak Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts pointed out that organising two distinct elections requires double the workforce, venues, security arrangements and ballot paper printing. “By consolidating the exercises, you optimise the use of resources,” he noted, adding that running a standalone PRN in Sarawak has been pegged at about RM80 million, whereas a nationwide general election can surpass RM500 million.

He further explained that the Election Commission already possesses most of the essential infrastructure—polling stations, trained staff and counting agents—and could simply scale up existing operations rather than mobilise everything anew for a separate event. According to him, this would ease the burden on public funds and allow civil servants and law enforcement officers to return to their routine duties sooner.

Abdul Karim also acknowledged worries over voter fatigue and the added complexity of managing two ballots simultaneously but stressed that clear guidelines and effective public outreach would make these hurdles manageable. He urged the federal election authority to start preparing immediately, including revising electoral rolls and recruiting and training extra personnel.

Although the prime minister has hinted at aligning state and national polls to streamline the process, no official decision has been made. Abdul Karim stated that Sarawak is prepared to support whatever schedule is chosen, provided it offers taxpayers a more cost-effective solution.

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Note: This article was auto-fetched from trusted news sources. Information is for general reference only. Always verify project details, pricing, and investment decisions with licensed agents or official developers.