Imagine that the Federal Government decides to abolish State Legislative Assembly elections, and decided that all State Legislative Assembly persons(ADUNs) shall hereafter be appointed by the Federal government. What this will mean is that there will no more Opposition party governed States... And also all States will definitely agree with what the Federal Government wants... No... NO... NEVER..
Yes, but that is exactly what happened to the Local Government(Council) elections - and the State government does not want people to elect their own Local Government representatives... The State prefers to appoint themselves... It makes it so EASY to Control.. people the State/Federal can kick out at will...
CONSEQUENCE - Will State Government appointed individuals in LOCAL GOVERNMENT go against the WILL of the State even if it may not be in the best interest of the people living in the area of the particular local government - most likely no. If we had democratically elected LOCAL GOVERNMENT, this local government will object to the establishment of factories/businesses/projects that will not be best for the well-being of the people within the area of the Local Government. The boundaries of LOCAL GOVERNMENT(Local Council) goes beyond main towns and includes rural areas. Minister NGA should really show us the MAPS of the Local Governments in Malaysia - Why are the maps not disclosed - a fact that leads to confusion, even a wrongfully held fear, that if there were elections, people in towns will dominate.
In Malaysia, there are 3 levels of government - Federal Goverment(we vote for our MPs), State Government (we vote for the ADUNs) and LOCAL Government(we used to vote until the Federal Government suspended it by reason of the 'Indonesian Confrontation) and later abolished election in favour of political appointment by State, or by Federal Government for Federal Territories)..
The Pakatan Rakyat(then the Pakatan Harapan) promised to RESTORE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS - but after they came into power, they delayed restoration of Local Government Elections and now they are not even talking about it....
Kota Kinabalu NEW MAYOR - nothing for the people to be happy about because he/she was NEVER chosen by the people or voted in by the people. The NEW MAYOR is nothing but a political appointee of the State...
If there was ELECTIONS, will the people of Kota Kinabalu even choose Sabin Samirah as the Mayor of Kota Kinabalu?
Remember that it was the Barisan Nasional(the UMNO-led coalition) that suspended and then prevented Local Government(Local Council) elections in the first place...
With this State Appointed Local Government - who are usually party members and friends of the ruling party/coalition that govern the State.
See
Restore
Right to Democratically Elect Peoples’ Representatives through Free and
Fair Elections for True and Effective People’s Participation in all
levels of Government including the Local Community Level, Local
Government (Council) and the Senate (16 Groups)
If we had elected Local Government, their FOCUS will be the Local Government area - in-town in-district public transport, maintenance of drains, signboards, traffic lights, approval of development projects within their area, --- It is interesting that the Federal/State government did not simply just abolish the Local Government and transfer its duties to State Departments. So, who exactly will be liable for actions/omissions of the Local Governments ...??
Now, there is almost no transparency with accounts - how is the monies collected spend by the Local Government? Why is the MINUTES of even the Local Government not made public - all that happens in Parliament are minuted in the HANSARD, same to with the State Assembly - ONLY the Local Government does not publish their minutes(Hansard).
Remember Local Council(Government) meetings are supposed to be OPEN to the Public, just like the Parliamentary and State Legislative Assembly Sessions - ...
23 Meetings of local authority to be public (LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT 1976)
All meetings of the local authority shall be open to the public and to representatives of the Press unless the local authority by resolution at the meeting otherwise decides:
Provided that this section shall not apply to any Committee of the local authority unless such Committee by resolution otherwise decides.
So, why are the Local Government's Meetings kept 'SECRET" - what kind of hanky panky is this? Why is people's ability to publicly participate hindered? All the roads in a Local Council except Federal and State roads are the responsibility of the Local Government? The drains too, the signboards, traffic lights, etc.
Do you know that even the democratically elected MPs and ADUNs are NOT part of the LOCAL GOVERNMENT? The MPs of Kuala Lumpur are not part of the Local Government of KL(the DBKL) - not even the PH MPs now when the PH rules the Federal Government as part of a coalition, just like when the BN or the PN-BN was the government.
RESTORE LOCAL GOVERNMENT elections now - end political appointments. Let us have real DEMOCRACY especially for the government that actually governs the local area where we live...
The group urged for it to be replaced with elections instead.
"We only democratically elect MPs and state legislative assemblypersons once every five years.
"Malaysians do not democratically elect the representatives of the other structures of governance such as local council and Dewan Negara. They also do not democratically elect their local community leaders," the group said in a statement.
The statement was signed by civil society leaders Charles Hector and Rohana Ariffin.
The 16 groups included Aliran, Malaysians Against Death Penalty and Torture, the Centre for Orang Asli Concerns, Environmental Protection Society Malaysia, Gagasan Insan Progresif, North South Initiative, Sarawak Dayak Iban Association, Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia and Teoh Beng Hock Association for Democratic Advancement, Malaysia.
Several international groups also endorsed the statement in solidarity.
Not freely chosen
Yesterday, DAP leader Tan Kok Wai made a call for the local council election to be held in Kuala Lumpur but was quickly rebuffed by Umno supreme council member Lokman Adam and Bersatu lawmaker Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal.
The local government council election was abolished in the 1960s, after the then-opposition Socialist Front and People's Progressive Party scored victories in George Town, Malacca, and Ipoh.
"These state-federal appointed representatives are not freely chosen peoples’ representatives, and as such, is an abuse of power and a violation of human rights that affect or deny peoples’ ability to effectively participate in the governance of their individual local communities, their local government, the senate and also Malaysia.
"State-federal government generally tend to appoint party members or supporters as peoples’ representatives in these other structures of governance – but if there was an election, these appointed persons may never even be chosen by the people," the group said.
They claimed that state appointments undermine the peoples’ right to participation in government when views and positions of the people can easily be ignored by these state-appointed representatives who listen more to the appointing authority and not the people they are supposed to represent.
"In Malaysia, even in the smallest communities like villages and residential neighbourhoods (taman), the leadership continues to be state-appointed rather than being democratically elected," it added.
The
group even suggested the abolition of the Dewan Negara if the right for
the people to directly elect their senators was not established. - Malaysiakini, 18/12/2023
Ahmad says there is no need for local elections now
KAJANG: There is no need for local council elections as it would only cause political frustration, said Umno supreme council member Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan.
He said he was confident the unity government would not approve the call for local council elections, which was suggested by Kuala Lumpur DAP chairman Tan Kok Wai.
"In my view, there is no need (for local council elections). As a Umno supreme council member, I do not want racism to escalate in our country," he said after visiting the Malaysian Highway Authority here today.
Ahmad, who is Deputy Works Minister, said this in response to Tan's statement on Sunday in which he urged for the reinstating of local elections in the federal capital.
Tan had said local elections would uphold democracy in the federal territories, provide sustainability and give the residents the right to select their city council representatives.
He had also described the elections as a "third vote", which allowed the 'no taxation without representation' principle to be upheld and to ensure an effective, clean, and people-centric governance, turning KL into a world-class city.
Meanwhile, Ahmad said the local council system was already made up of representatives from various ethnicities.
"State and Parliamentary elections are enough. Why do we need more elections?" he questioned.
Local government elections in Malaysia were suspended in the 1960s
before being replaced by a system of appointing the head, namely the
mayor and municipal council presidents, including council members. - NST, 19/12/2023
Former IRB CEO is new Kota Kinabalu mayor
KOTA KINABALU, Jan 2 — Former Inland Revenue Board (IRB) chief executive officer Datuk Seri Sabin Samirah has been appointed as the new mayor of Kota Kinabalu city.
Sabin, 63, replaces the city's first woman mayor, Datuk Noorliza Awang Alip, who has held the post since December 2020.
He is the seventh mayor since Kota Kinabalu was elevated to city status 23 years ago on February 2.
Sabin’s last posting was as the Director-General of the National Anti-Financial Crime Centre in the Prime Minister’s Department after ending his contract with the IRB. He was IRB CEO from 2016 to 2021.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor presented the appointment letter to Sabin today.
Present
at the appointment ceremony was Industrial Development and
Entrepreneurship Minister Datuk Phoong Jin Zhe, Assistant Minister to
the Chief Minister Datuk Abidin Madingkir and State Secretary Datuk Seri
Panglima Sr Safar Untong. - Malay Mail, 2/1/2024
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