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.
