PKR names new State Chiefs - and interestingly the power of choosing and deciding State Chiefs rest with the PRESIDENT(now Anwar Ibrahim) only - odd, when really should it not be democratically elected by the members of the State or maybe the Branch or Division leaders of the State.
It is the President - not the PKR Central Leadership Council(Majlis Pimpinan Pusat).
Note that some are elected by members... but MANY are chosen by the President of PKR.
Anwar, PKR - Danger of becoming Autocratic and not Democratic? President just too much power?
By this appointment of State Chiefs, it also affects the composition of the Central Leadership Council - as the State Chiefs are also in the Central Leadership Council.
Anwar, PKR - Danger of becoming Autocratic and not Democratic? President just too much power?
This rather undemocratic elements in party constitution is worrisome when the party is part of the government or forms the government.
We need to consider Party Constitutions, as it can be indicative of the kind of government we can be getting if we vote such a party into government. The constitution indicates the values and principles that a political party advocates - Democracy or ....
In brief, Anwar will be able to choose and insert 21 members of the Central Leadership Council. {See PKR Constitution at http://keadilanrakyat.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Perlembagaan-Parti-Keadilan-Rakyat.pdf
PKR Constitution provides for so many 'political appointments' by the party President (as seen in Clause 21.7 of the Party Constitution. In fact, even the Secretary General of PKR is a political appointment by the President - and that today is our Home Minister SENATOR Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
In Malaysia, political appointments(NOT democratic elections by the people) continue to happen in the Senate, Local Government(Local Council), Local Community Leaders(Ketua Kampung, etc) - When will Malaysians enjoy TRUE DEMOCRACY - the ability to freely elect our leaders at every level. Now, in Malaysia, democratic elections only for Members of Parliament(MPs) and State Assembly Persons(ADUNs). Local Government elections was there - but ended in late 60s because of an 'emergency' - but is yet to be restored despite the fact that when in Opposition, Anwar's PKR and DAP were all out for Local Council elections.
Implementing local council elections is not a priority for the Housing and Local Government Ministry at the moment, the Dewan Rakyat was told.
Minister Nga Kor Ming said the focus was currently on developments that could benefit and uplift the people’s well-being.
“This year, we will also continue to prioritise basic facilities for local councils such as roads, clean public toilets and clear drains to ensure we give the best services to the people,” he said in a written Parliamentary reply on Friday (March 7).
Prime Minister Anwar seem to be avoiding the question of local government elections - just said discussing..
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today criticised the Opposition for fearmongering about local council elections, after it was brought up by federal government coalition member DAP recently.
The Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman said the Malay community's position in the country is secure, and the group should instead be encouraged to reach greater heights rather than being held back with a siege mentality.
"We're only discussing it. Is it not even possible to discuss it? We're not even at the stage of deciding on it," Anwar told senior editors in a dialogue session in Seri Perdana Complex here, referring to the proposal to revive local council elections.
Remember, the people pay the Local Government lot of monies every year for houses and building within the boundaries of the Local Government. This monies are to be spend for the maintenance and development of the area within the vicinity of the Local Government. Now, because of the 'political appointment' by State for Local Governments within a State, and political appointments by Federal Government for Federal Territories - the power on how to use these monies inadvertently is with the State or Federal government, not the people. Who is responsible for the actions/decisions of the Local Government - it is the Local Government itself - but sadly how these monies are spend are difficult to know as most Local Government websites today do not disclose accounts, do they? WHY won't Anwar and the PH-led government allow local government elections? Why stick to the culture of 'political appointments' and not democratic elections.
Political parties must change their ways in favour of DEMOCRACY and end the culture of political appointments. The people in the area may have voted for the Opposition to be MPs and/or ADUNs but then the Local Government(Local Councils) representatives are chosen by the government that rules the State or the Federation - ODD is it not? Odd when the appointed Ketua Kampung is from PH when the overwhelming majority in the community supports PAS?
WHERE IS DEMOCRACY? Which political party will give us DEMOCRACY - true democracy so people in a kampung/taman/kampung baru and Local Government can choose their OWN people's representatives through FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS?
Even Thailand have local council (local government) elections. Shame on you, Malaysia.
Cambodia just finished their municipal, provincial, town and district council elections
Local Council Elections - Increased DEMOCRACY? Why does PAS, UMNO, PKR, DAP,...oppose it? People choose?
Will PR allow people to elect their own Local Councillors? Civil Society Deadline for Local Council Elections:- '..by or before 2010..'
PKR names new state chiefs, Rafizi, Nik Nazmi and Sangkar dropped
Mustapha Sakmud is Sabah PKR chief, replacing Sangkar Rasam, who has been appointed to the central leadership council.
PETALING JAYA: A slew of new state PKR chiefs were named today, with Rafizi Ramli and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad relinquishing control of two states each, and a new leader in Sabah replacing Sangkar Rasam.
Rafizi, who is deputy president, has been replaced by Azman Abidin as federal territories PKR leader and Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh Azman as the Johor chief. Azman is the political secretary to Prime Minister and PKR president Anwar Ibrahim, while Syed Ibrahim is the Ledang MP.
Vice-president Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad was relieved of his position as Kelantan and Terengganu PKR chief, with the posts now going to Suparadi Noor and Ahmad Nazri Yusof, respectively.
In Sabah, deputy higher education minister Mustapha Sakmud replaces Sangkar, who was recently urged to step down by 15 of 26 division chiefs. He had rejected the demand, and Anwar later said he would intervene in the matter.
Sangkar has now been appointed to the central leadership council, along with former Indera Mahkota MP Azan Ismail and Roslan Hussin, listed in the statement as a training director.
Deputy domestic trade and cost of living minister Fuziah Salleh takes over from party vice-president Amirudin Shari as Pahang PKR chief, though Amirudin will continue to lead the Selangor chapter.
There were no changes to the other state leaderships.
In a statement, PKR information chief Fahmi Fadzil said the changes were decided by the party’s central leadership council.
He added that the top leadership also discussed the looming by-election for the Sungai Bakap state seat in Penang following the death of Nor Zamri Latiff of PAS on Friday. - FMT, 26/5/2024
Local council elections not a priority, focus is on development, says Nga
- Nation
-
Friday, 08 Mar 2024
PETALING JAYA: Implementing local council elections is not a priority for the Housing and Local Government Ministry at the moment, the Dewan Rakyat was told.
Minister Nga Kor Ming said the focus was currently on developments that could benefit and uplift the people’s well-being.
“This year, we will also continue to prioritise basic facilities for local councils such as roads, clean public toilets and clear drains to ensure we give the best services to the people,” he said in a written Parliamentary reply on Friday (March 7).
Nga was responding to a question by Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan (PN-Kota Baru).
Takiyuddin had asked whether the government intended to carry out local council elections following “pressure” from certain quarters for it to begin in Kuala Lumpur.
Local council elections were previously carried out in Malaysia but were suspended in the 1960s following the Confrontation periods between Indonesia and Malaysia.
It has never been revived since.
Separately, Nga said the ministry would continue engagements with state governments to finalise the draft of the Residential Tenancy Act.
“Input and views from the engagement will be taken into account to improve the draft, so all quarters will be protected and taken into account,” he said.
Nga added that the Residential Tenancy Act would be neutral, with the rental of any premises being subject to agreement by the parties involved.
“It will also define the rights and obligations for premise owners and renters, alongside preparing a mechanism to resolve any conflicts when it comes to renting,” he said.
This was in response to a question by
Syahredzan Johan (PH-Bangi) who asked about current developments on the
Residential Tenancy Act, and whether it would overcome complaints of
racial discrimination against potential renters. - Star, 8/3/2024
Cambodia's ruling party sweeps most votes in local council elections
- Cambodia
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Monday, 27 May 2024
The CPP won the most majority votes in the elections, gaining some 10,052 votes, or about 86 per cent of the total votes.
PHNOM PENH: The ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) on Sunday (May 26) won the most votes in the municipal, provincial, town and district council elections for the fourth term, according to preliminary results released by the National Election Committee (NEC).
Five political parties, namely the CPP, the Khmer Will Party, the Nation Power Party, the Funcinpec Party and the Khmer National United Party, took part in the non-universal elections.
The preliminary results, issued by the NEC and announced one polling station by one polling station on the state-run TVK, showed that the CPP received most of the votes in the elections.
NEC's Chairman Prach Chan said 11,598 sitting commune chiefs and councillors, or 99.79 per cent of the 11,622 eligible voters, cast their ballots for 4,200 municipal, provincial, town and district councilors on Sunday.
"The elections were conducted smoothly with good security and order, and without any violence or intimidation," he said in a press conference at the conclusion of the elections.
"The elections were held in a free and fair manner based on the principle of liberal multi-party democracy," Chan added.
CPP's spokesperson Sok Eysan confirmed with Xinhua that based on the party's tally, the CPP won the most majority votes in the elections, gaining some 10,052 votes, or about 86 per cent of the total votes.
"This is another great success for the CPP after we won a landslide victory in the senate election in February 2024 and the general election in July 2023," he said.
According to the NEC, the official results will be publicised on June 8.
The municipal, provincial, town and district council elections are held once every five years. - Xinhua
DAP's Aziz Bari: Malays will benefit from local govt election if done properly
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 19 — Amid renewed protests against the proposal to reinstate local government elections, Perak DAP leader Abdul Aziz Bari said that the Malays will not lose power as feared and might even benefit from the move.
Malaysiakini reported Aziz as saying that Malay leaders who issued statements against the idea after it was recently proposed by Federal Territories DAP chairman Tan Kok Wai, should stop scaring the Malays with such fear.
“If it is properly done, the Malays may benefit from the local election instead of losing power.
“States like Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Perlis may see Malay-dominated local councils, such may also be the scenario even in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur,” he was quoted saying.
Aziz, a constitutional law expert, was responding to Umno supreme council member Lokman Noor Adam and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) youth chief Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal over their comments on the matter.
The Tebung Tinggi assemblyman said that both the Malay politicians were against the reinstatement of local government elections based on their assumptions that everybody votes along racial lines.
“It’s time for them to wake up rather than be stuck in the past,” he reportedly said.
Aziz said that contrary to claims that local government elections are DAP’s way of consolidating its dominance in urban areas, the move was a way to address grassroots complaints about matters affecting their daily lives.
He also recalled that the first general election in 1955 had its roots in the Kuala Lumpur municipal council election held three years earlier.
“Both of them (Lokman and Wan Ahmad Fayhsal) who were born after independence should study more about the subject.
“The fact that the older generation like me and Tan who is in his 70s is concerned about democratisation, while the younger generation is stuck in the past,” he explained.
Malaysia last held a local council elections in 1963. However, the next round, which was supposed to be held the following year, was temporarily suspended.
The temporary suspension became permanent in 1976 when Parliament passed the Local Government Act which abolished local government elections and provided for the appointment of local councillors.
In any case, Aziz pointed out that the proposed local government election would be subject to certain limitations.
He reminded Lokman and Wan Ahmad Fayhsal that they too are also welcome to take part in the consultative process to enact such laws.
Malaysiakini also reported former federal territories minister Khalid Abdul Samad calling for Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders to discuss the DAP-backed proposal so they can decide on the coalition’s stand.
The Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) leader also remarked that all levels of elections, including any move to revive the local council election, will be used as a platform for “race politics”.
“At the moment, priority should be put on showing the unity of the government, and as such I would suggest these issues be discussed internally within the coalition first, not being brought up in the open by individual parties, which will show differences and cause a split.
“So in terms of wisdom, discuss internally first, hear all arguments. When a decision is made, decide what to do in the event the decision is not in line with your party’s stand,” Khalid was quoted as saying.
The former Shah Alam MP also noted that while calling for the local government election to start in Kuala Lumpur, there are no positions for local councillors under the Kuala Lumpur City Hall’s structure.
At present, Kuala Lumpur only has MPs, and the federal government runs Kuala Lumpur City Hall.
“What I’m trying to say is, a lot needs to be done structurally too. Not just the local council election,” khalid was quoted saying.
Tan, an eight-term Cheras MP, had recently called for the government to reinstate the local elections in the capital city. His proposal came after the recent cabinet reshuffle that saw the appointment of a minister in charge of Federal Territories.
Yesterday, newly
appointed Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal
Territories) Dr Zaliha Mustafa said there are more basic matters that
need to be prioritised including governance of strata properties,
instead of discussions on reintroducing the local council election. - Malay Mail, 19/12/2023
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