KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 3 — DAP secretary Anthony Loke today defended the government’s decision to commission a study into the viability of holding elections to elect Kuala Lumpur’s mayor, describing it as “nothing controversial”.

Federal Territories Minister Hannah Yeoh has come under fire from Malay conservatives who oppose any form of local council elections, among them leaders from party aligned with the ruling pact.

They alleged a mayoral election would undermine Malay position in the city.

Loke, who is also a senior Cabinet minister, said Yeoh had only proposed the idea be studied, although the transport minister was seemingly supportive of the proposal, citing mayoral elections as the norm in many countries.

“What the minister proposed was just a study to see if it can be done…so there is nothing controversial about it,” the minister told reporters during a site inspection of the Bandar Tasik Selatan terminal here.

“The concept of electing a mayor is not even a new thing. Everywhere in the world many democratic countries hold mayoral elections so I don’t see this as DAP issue. In fact many parties had proposed this, including Khairy Jamaluddin,” Loke added.

Khairy, a former Umno member who previously held several ministerial posts, appeared supportive of the view that Kuala Lumpur residents have the right to choose their mayor at a forum to discuss reform of the Kuala Lumpur City Hall, alongside other panellists. 

He said electing the mayor is one of the best ways to ensure DBKL, which oversees over RM1 billion in yearly revenue, is accountable to its constituents. 

Under the present system, KL’s mayor is handpicked by the governing party, a practice critics say is prone to abuse and possibly corruption.

Opposition against local council elections had been largely grounded on claims that Malay interests in the cities would be undermined since the population of urban centres is predominantly ethnic Chinese.

Supporters of local council polls, however, said the fear is unfounded, since official data shows ethnic Bumiputera now form the bulk of KL’s population.