Wasted opportunity in Perak...or not? Best of the PR MBs, he was..

Well, the Sultan has refused the request to dissolve the Legislative Assembly - and now the Menteri Besar according to Art.16(6) of Perak State Constitution...'shall tender the resignation of the Executive Council..." - however there is no indication as to when this is to be done. Is it within 24 hours...or a week..or now?

Either way, we see the end of Pakatan Rakyat rule of Perak, and we ask ourselves as to what real changes did they introduce in Perak when the PR ruled?

To some, they will say that there was really no apparent change .... mmm. And, if so, we must of course acknowledge that it has been proven beyond a doubt that not only the BN can rule States - but Pakatan Rakyat can also rule. So, no more will the point that only BN has the experience and ability will work...

I am sad about the fall of Perak beacause amongst all the 5 different PR states, it is only in Perak that we saw a return of democracy to the lowest levels of government - the Kampungs, etc..

Beliau juga mengucapkan tahniah kepada mereka yang telah berjaya di pilih oleh penduduk kampung masing-masing sebagai Ketua Kampung yang baru dimana sebelum ini , perlantikan dibuat melalui kuasa politik.

Menteri Besar , Dato’ Seri Ir Haji Mohamad Nizar Jamaludin dalam ucaptamanya berharap perlantikan tersebut dapat meningkatkan usaha penyampaian maklumat dan hasrat rakyat untuk diambil tindakan oleh kerajaan negeri.- Perlantikan Ketua Kampung Negeri Perak, 8/8/2008 - see earlier posting, Ketua Kampung - Elected by people in Perak, Chosen by government in Selangor

And also see my earlier posting Have the activist betrayed the people in their silence...?

Now, PERAK has started this....and the latest good move have been done by Chang Lih Kang...and here, I attach a posting by Josh Hong

We must restore local government elections for the sake of democracy, good governance, rule of law, accountability and transparency. – Lim Guan Eng, speaking to Perak DAP leaders in February 2005.

It was an auspicious start to 2009, when residents of Gunung Rapat New Village, Perak, went to the ballot box to elect their ideal candidate for the post of village chief. The small yet hugely significant election, proposed and sponsored by PKR state assemblymen Chang Lih Kang and Chan Ming Kai, indicates that the true spirit of democracy is still alive despite the controversy that the move had generated among some Pakatan Rakyat lawmakers.- Malaysiakini, 30/1/2009 - Where's My Third Vote?


What are you waiting for Pakatan Rakyat? Next General Elections?

After GE2008, I have strongly advocated for fast changes to be implemented - and one of this was to introduce greater democracy at all levels. We were talking about the people democratically electing their leaders at all levels - kampung, taman, kampung baru, etc.

We were talking about people electing the Penghulus..

We were talking about the people choosing their Senators...

We were talking about the people electing the Local Councils...

Even if there is problems with elections - creatively you can do a referendum to get the peoples' choices ...

We must restore local government elections for the sake of democracy, good governance, rule of law, accountability and transparency. – Lim Guan Eng, speaking to Perak DAP leaders in February 2005. see my earlier posting Have the activist betrayed the people in their silence...?

Then, the civil society after GE2008 made a call for local council elections - but this time the call was not for it NOW - but by 2010 (of course since the appointment of many civil society leaders as local councillors, this call has become very very soft...
...today that a memorandum endorsed by 33 civil society organisations will be sent to all 12 state governments requesting local council elections to be carried out on or before 2010 - Malaysiakini, 28/3/2008 - Bring local council elections back by 2010

2010 -- why not now? As soon as possible and latest by end of 2008 (not 2010). Let us consider term of office, and reasonably it should be at least 3 years...So delaying mattters is not at all an option...

And why are we talking about stopping at local council or town council elections (the Majlis Perbandaraan or Majlis Bandaraya)... we should look at elections at all levels of local government including the Penghulu, Ketua Kampung, the JKKK, the JKKT ....and there is nothing stoping us doing this...and we should follow the guidance of the new Perak MB -- whose only reason for suggesting elections at the end of the year was because that was when the current term expires...and if sooner, the better...

There are many levels of local government --- and we MUST introduce elections at all level and away with this practice of "appointments" once and for all. - Local Government Elections at all levels by end 2008 (definitely NOT by 2010..)

Only, one state have fallen - and PR must wake up and start local elections soonest... at all levels. Once people taste democracy at this levels, i.e. something denied to them under BN rule, people will not be too quick to the old ways where the State appoints - not the people choose..

Some use the law as being the impediment - but there are 2 opposing views. At the very least, try - and if there are 'legal blocks' raised - take it to court. Surely, this is a State matter - and no Federal Laws should usurp State powers of own government at the local council level...

We have been distracted with plans of greater conquests - and party defections - by-elections, etc - and maybe PR has also been similarly distracted, and have not focussed its attention in bringing positive changes as to how things are done at the local/community level...

I hope readers of this BLOG can help highlight the good things that the Perak PR government managed to do in the time that it had ruled Perak...