KUALA LUMPUR, March 18 — Local government elections are not allowed in Malaysia because it will distract mayors and local councillors and likely to represent the majority race in the area, Putrajaya said today.

The Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan said the mayor and councillors would not focus on the job at hand and would only focus on being re-elected again.

“The local authorities that keep changing will also affect the implementation of policies and programmes decided at the federal level which can leave a negative impact on the people,” he said in his written reply to Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng in Parliament.

The Kota Belud MP also said the racial composition that is not balanced between urban and rural areas could lead to the majority race being voted into power, hence only representing the interest of that one community.

Pointing out that the cost for the last general elections cost more than RM142,000, he said local elections would add to the overall costs, when the money could be used for development projects for the benefit of the people.

Abdul Rahmad said voter turnout at local elections have been low in several countries, which would not represent the true wishes of the local residents, hence defeating the purpose of giving them the right to vote for their representatives.

He also mentioned that if Sabah and Sarawak do not agree to local elections, it would then create two local government systems, creating a wider gap between the peninsular and the East Malaysian states.