NO LOCAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS because of money is a LAME excuse, to undermine peoples' democratic rights.
Is the real reason not simply the maintenance of control of Local Government by State and/or Federal Government - for political appointees are really 'YES MEN' who would do as their political bosses order - not persons, who will act and decide, for the best interest of the 'citizens' of a local government/local council jurisdiction.
Even after Najib's SRC case - where it disclosed the danger of 'political appointee' Directors, etc that makes it so easy for some to abuse their power unchecked - and even steal the people's money. Why did SRC Directors do their job as Directors of a Company? Why did KWAP agree to provide Billions of Ringgit Loans to SRC - a rather risky endeavor? Why did the Malaysian Cabinet agree to guarantee the loans? Do political appointed Directors, officers even think - or do they simply follow blindly as 'instructed'?
Likewise, without a democratically elected Local Council(the Local Government), the people loss their rights and ability to decide on the development or priorities of their own local government areas?
MONEY - well, local government make a lot of monies > and as such, this is not even an issue really. 1 single double story shop-house pays about RM1,000 to the local government. Every house also pays. ...To run a business, pay...signboards - pay >>>YES, Local Government has a LOT OF MONEY.
Maybe to save monies, we should cancel General Elections at the Federal and State levels too...absurd, is it not?
In Malaysia, our kampung/taman/kampung baru leaders are also 'politically appointed' - not democratically elected. Why not?
When the local government makes a stupid decision to approve a dangerous project near our homes - the right of the people to object or have a say is simply 'stolen' as politically appointed local governments and community leaders seldom even consult, let alone take into account the views of the people. [How does your LOCAL COUNCIL spend its millions(or billions) of ringgit for the community - accounts and annual reports of many Local Council's simply is not available on the local Council website - and the people have no right to even 'kick out' this political appointed Councillors, who make ALL the decision in terms of laws and monies of the local council - local government..]
REMOVE Federal Government Control as to whether States can have local council elections or not...PH PLUS should have done that basis amendment first, then Selangor, Penang ...can have local council elections...
We all know that the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT has control over whether local council elections be held in the various States - then, why don't this control be relinquished back to the States - and let the States(now governed by different parties) decide whether or not to have local council/local government elections...
3 LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT - we have democratic rights to choose our reps only in two thirds (NAY, only 50% because we still also do not have the right to elect the SENATORS. So maybe, abolish the Senate, if no money, and let's have local government elections)
LOCAL GOVERNMENT(or Local Councils) - which we elected until suspension of election due to the Indonesian Confrontation - and later continued to be suspended by the Federal Government through an Act of Parliament...
For the people, the Local Government is maybe the most important and very important. A people elected Local Government would have most likely not allowed the building/operation of rare earth factories/depositories or other factories that are risky to the people and environment, not allowed anti-people development projects, etc... BUT, if the local government(local council) was made up of political appointees by State/Federal government, then they will most likely 'rubber stamp' or do as their 'masters' want.., NO ELECTION MEANS people do not matter - only the whims and fancies of those with the power to appoint and re-appoint them...
Local Government makes a lot of MONIES - well, annually every person owing a house or a shop-lot pays a lot of money to the Local Council [1 shop, ground and 1st floor - at least RM1,000????].
Local Government LOT OF POWER - If you want to operate a business within the jurisdiction of a local government(a.k.a. Local Council), you need their permission and have to pay fees not just for business permits, signboards, etc. They also collect monies from a variety of summons - parking, breach of regulations at your business and even home. [REMEMBER - local government also have the power to make their own laws and enforce it].
PH Plus took us for a ride - promise that they will act on it on the 3rd year
PN-BN Plus 'cheated' us as well - we believed the needed will be done in 2021, and by end 2021 we will REGAIN OUR DEMOCRATIC RIGHT TO CHOOSE OUR REPRESENTATIVES IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT..
No local council elections as they will cost millions, says minister
PETALING JAYA: The government will not be considering implementing local government elections, housing and local government minister Reezal Merican Naina Merican said.
He said this is due to the high costs of carrying out such elections, estimated at RM2 million for every local council.
This amounts to RM302 million for all the 151 local councils nationwide, he said in a written parliamentary reply to Maria Chin Abdullah (PH-Petaling Jaya).
“The cost estimates are just a minimum and do not include hidden costs that will be borne by other related agencies such as the police to monitor safety during elections and members of the People’s Volunteer Corps (Rela) to control the situation at voting stations,” he said.
He said carrying out local government elections every two years may also disrupt their functions to provide services to the people, with greater focus and energy going towards campaigning.
Reezal said the existing system for the appointment of local councillors was effective and had been able to provide the best services to the people without requiring the elections.
“Through the existing system, members of local councils who do not perform may be terminated or may not be re-appointed after their tenure,” he said.
“Usually, council members are appointed for a period of two years and those showing poor performance will be terminated to ensure that the councils’ service to the people will not be affected.”
The ministry, through collaboration with their training centres and the local council department, also provides training for the improvement of council members every year to shape competent and effective council members.
Reezal said the ministry was also developing guidelines for the appointments of local council members.
Under the guidelines, appointments must fulfil certain criteria such as having academic qualifications and professional experience.
The proposal to implement local council elections was one of the items promised under the Pakatan Harapan (PH) election manifesto for the 2018 general election.
However, the Cabinet on July 17, 2020 agreed not to go ahead with such elections.
Former housing and local government minister Zuraida Kamaruddin had said that local councils should instead take smaller steps towards opening up, as elections might be too drastic a move at present.
There had also been many objections to bringing back local government elections, even by former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who cited concerns of racial conflicts.- FMT, 9/12/2021
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