Environs Eagles

A few days before Pakatan Rakyat (PR) celebrated its 2nd anniversary of its takeover of the Penang state government in March 2008, its chief minister announced that the state had sent a letter to the Election Commission (EC) asking the commission to conduct elections for two municipal councils in the Penang state.

Soon after, the PR held Selangor state government also committed to local council elections in the state and had informed the EC of the same.

The resurrection of local government elections was a 2008 general elections pledge given by the PR component parties.

It has been over 40 years since the Barisan Nasional (BN) held federal government outlawed local council elections through the Local Government Act 1976. Local polls were suspended following the declaration of emergency on September 3, 1964, which remains in force until to-date.

The Malaysians at large applauded both the Penang and Selangor state governments for their political maturity in responding to the peoples call to restore the mechanism for local democracy.

The citizens also want Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and his BN administration to be responsible to take the lead to ensure the EC assists in the administration of the local council elections in both the states Penang and Selangor and ensure a free and fair election process.

Najib Abdul Razak came out strongly against restoring the local council elections deeming the third vote unnecessary. He said it would cause too much politicking. He said that instead of electing the local government representatives, the focus should be on improving services of local authorities and providing the best service to the people.

The EC chief Abdul Aziz Yusof had replied to both the Penang and Selangor state governments that he will respond to them based on ECs interpretation of the law adding that EC will not be bonded by the opinions of either the prime minister or the opposition held state governments.

Without any discussions held with the two state governments, Abdul Aziz came back with a reply saying that EC cannot conduct local polls as it is bound by laws such as Local Government Act 1976 (Act 171) which states that local government polls have effectively been abolished. He asks the two state governments to bring up the matter with the National Council for Local Government.

Prior to the 2008 general elections, all state governments were held by BN, with the exception of Kelantan. Almost all local councils were located in urban areas. The councillors were political appointees by the state governments, recommended by their respective political parties.

There was an increase in citations and complaints on alleged poor administration and weak financial management. The councillors positions, which came with an official small allowance, were deemed to have lots of unaccountable perks. There were rampant reports on how the councils finances were lavishly spent on wasteful projects, projects which were alleged to be mere fronts to make some fast bucks. Some councils spent lavishly on luxurious overseas trips under the guise of study tours, some bringing along their whole family including the domestic workers. There was no need to submit any ROI (return of investment) reports.

The use of agents and the presence of rent-seekers in the middlemen or the orang tengah industry has become synonymous with doing business in Malaysia. Every right-thinking Malaysian is saying enough is enough.

The peoples rage to have the local council elections reinstated is to eliminate these long prevailing menaces. They want to be empowered again. They want to have their say and exercise their democratic rights for representation at the local level.

There are obviously more speculations as to the real reasons why the current BN federal government is adamant in denying the peoples call for their rights to the third vote.

R. Vijay Kumar, a Citizen Journalist, met several local councillors from the state of Selangor to get their thoughts and expert opinions of the issue, and thus this 2-parts video.

In the Part 1 video, several local councilors gave their perspective for local government polls and also why they rather be elected by people than just to be appointed to the position.

In the Part 2 video, Derek John Fernandez, an urban planning lawyer and a councillor with Petaling Jaya City Council shares some methods and avenues as to how to have a people-elected and represented local council.

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