Wednesday, July 03, 2013

If Nurul Izzah can do it in less than a month, surely Selangor government can table the Local Government Election Bill in 2013 - not 2014

In 2008, Pakatan Rakyat promised us local council elections but when they came into power in 5 (later 4) States, it seems that they forgot about this. Towards the end of their term of office, there was some efforts displayed by Penang (and later Selangor).

Now, Selangor announces that they will be tabling a Local Government Election Bill ... the odd thing is that it will be done in 2014, and not now or even in 2013. I would not be surprised that the Bill will be table only at end of 2014.
"...The Selangor government is drafting the Local Government Election Bill to be tabled in the state legislative assembly in 2014. Selangor is the second state to announce its intention to introduce the Bill after Penang which will see the state councillors being voted.According to Selangor state exco in charge of local councils Teng Chang Khim, the move will restore the democratic rights of citizens in the state..." TheSunDaily, 1/7/2013, Local Government Election Bill will be tabled in 2014
Come now, it really does not take a long time to prepare a Bill and table it - it could be done in less than a month. It could have, and should have been tabled, in the last term...

Tired of waiting for the government to act, PKR’s Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar has submitted a Private Member's Bill to Parliament, seeking the abolition of the Sedition Act 1948.Nurul Izzah said the document was sent to the secretary’s office yesterday and that she is “hopeful” and “optimistic” that it will be tabled for debate in the Dewan Rakyat.

...Nurul Izzah said she prepared the entire bill herself.

“They (the speaker and secretary) can always say that government orders or bills can supercede others,” she said, stressing that it was the prerogative of the speaker whether to allow a private member’s bill to be debated.

Nurul Izzah had tabled similar private member bills before, to abolish the Emergency Ordinance, the Printing Presses and Publications Act and the Petroleum Development Act..." - Malaysiakini, 2/7/2013,
Nurul Izzah pre-empts move to abolish Sedition Act

If Nurul Izzah can prepare a Bill in less than a month after PRU13, I am sure Selangor State government can do the same. If it is a problem for the State Government, then let an State Legislative Person table it as Private member's Bill. Since it a PR majority State, and the Speaker is also from PR, I am positive that it will be debated and passed soonest.

UNLESS, Pakatan Rakyat do not really want local council elections where the power is with the people to chose their own Local Councillors. Maybe PR, just like the BN, prefers to retain the power to appoint people of their own choosing. I hope not.

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