Pilot MBPJ polls may be as early as September
Kow Gah ChiePublished: Jun 9, 2011 3:44 AM | Updated: Jun 9, 2011 4:36 AM
If everything goes well, the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) will conduct a pilot project for local council elections - the first in the country since 1964 - as early as this September and October.
If everything goes well, the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) will conduct a pilot project for local council elections - the first in the country since 1964 - as early as this September and October.
The Pakatan Rakyat Selangor government’s initiative, which is still at the proposal stage, had suggested a quota of only 30 percent of the 24 councillors posts to be open for election, while the other 70 percent is kept for political parties .
While Pakatan had called for the restoration of local polls in its election manifesto, Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim only announced partial elections, or election of 30 percent of the seats for groups other than political parties.
This had raised fears about the lack of political will within Pakatan in failing to take action to realise its election promises.
Coalition for Good Governance (CGG) chairperson Maria Chin Abdullah (left) says the group wants full local elections, but accepts the partial election as a test run and as a compromise plan to elect new councillors, whose term is going to end at Dec 21, 2011.
“We hope in the next term to come (which will expire at the end of 2013), Selangor will hold elections in all the 12 local authorities fully, to fill the entire quota of 24 councillors for NGOs, professional groups or political parties,” she told Malaysiakini in a telephone interview.
CGG asked for recommendations
Maria claimed State Economic Planning Unit (UPEN) had unofficially directed the coalition to come up with recommendations for implementing MBPJ’s local election plans.
“We held meetings with them twice, and the unit had wanted us to help conduct the local election,” she said.
Maria said ever since its establishment, CGG had pledged to work for the resumption of local council elections, and started to work out the details three years ago.
“I expect everything to be finalised by the end of July, and be implemented as early as September or October,” she said.
Maria said CGG had suggested a longer period for campaigning and polling, where candidates would have adequate time to campaign and voters would have more time to cast their ballots.
“In fact the ideal time frame for campaigning should be over a period of eight days,” she said.
When comes to defining who have the right to vote, Maria said those with a Petaling Jaya address on their MyKad, ratepayers or those who own houses locally are eligible for vote.
Individuals, not politicians, preferred
Maria also said the group would prefer those with a political background not to contest, but would instead encourage individuals to offer themself as candidates.
As for the criteria for the candidates, she said that they should be citizens, PJ ratepayers and had no criminal records.
She said both CGG and UPEN would work on the details further, and an eight-person task force had been set up to implement the local election and set up rules and regulations.
Maria stated her worries that Selangor might not be serious about the notion of having elected candidates as councillors.
She said in Penang, not all the elected candidates were later appointed as councillors.
“The current law prohibits local elections, therefore all the elected candidates need to be appointed by the authorities after winning election,” she said.
“I just hope Selangor will be a better role model than Penang,” she said.
Maria was referring to the mock local elections held during the “Penang Forum 3" last year, where eventually ten nominees were elected.
Local elections were suspended during the confrontation between Malaysia and Indonesia in 1964, and sebsequently the councillors have been appointed by state governments.
Councillor not happy with partial election
MBPJ councillor Cynthia Gabriel voiced her dissatisfaction that only partial elections were to be conducted.
She said what civil society and NGOs want is clear, which is a full local election.
Cynthia (right), who is a councillor from the NGO quota, however said the MBPJ or the councillors have not been officially briefed about it and so the issue is still unclear to them.
She noted that 25 percent or six seats out of the existing number of councillors are reserved for NGOs.
Meanwhile, Selangor exco member in charge of local government Ronnie Liu was reported by news portal Merdeka Review yesterday as saying that the MBPJ election might be held by the end of the year.
However, he refused to directly comment when asked whether the state government lacked the political will to implement direct elections, instead saying let the people assess the matter.
Malaysiakini also contacted state senior exco member Teresa Kok and exco member Ean Yong Hian Wah, who both confirmed that state government has yet to discuss the issue officially.
Kok said the plan by Selangor was to conduct local council elections by the end of this year, before the councillors’ two-year tenure comes to an end.
“The state government has directed UPEN to come up with recommendations last month , on the implementation,” she said.
The Pakatan Rakyat Selangor government’s initiative, which is still at the proposal stage, had suggested a quota of only 30 percent of the 24 councillors posts to be open for election, while the other 70 percent is kept for political parties .
While Pakatan had called for the restoration of local polls in its election manifesto, Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim only announced partial elections, or election of 30 percent of the seats for groups other than political parties.
This had raised fears about the lack of political will within Pakatan in failing to take action to realise its election promises.
Coalition for Good Governance (CGG) chairperson Maria Chin Abdullah (left) says the group wants full local elections, but accepts the partial election as a test run and as a compromise plan to elect new councillors, whose term is going to end at Dec 21, 2011.“We hope in the next term to come (which will expire at the end of 2013), Selangor will hold elections in all the 12 local authorities fully, to fill the entire quota of 24 councillors for NGOs, professional groups or political parties,” she told Malaysiakini in a telephone interview.
CGG asked for recommendations
Maria claimed State Economic Planning Unit (UPEN) had unofficially directed the coalition to come up with recommendations for implementing MBPJ’s local election plans.
“We held meetings with them twice, and the unit had wanted us to help conduct the local election,” she said.
Maria said ever since its establishment, CGG had pledged to work for the resumption of local council elections, and started to work out the details three years ago.
“I expect everything to be finalised by the end of July, and be implemented as early as September or October,” she said.
Maria said CGG had suggested a longer period for campaigning and polling, where candidates would have adequate time to campaign and voters would have more time to cast their ballots.
“In fact the ideal time frame for campaigning should be over a period of eight days,” she said.
When comes to defining who have the right to vote, Maria said those with a Petaling Jaya address on their MyKad, ratepayers or those who own houses locally are eligible for vote.
Individuals, not politicians, preferred
Maria also said the group would prefer those with a political background not to contest, but would instead encourage individuals to offer themself as candidates.
As for the criteria for the candidates, she said that they should be citizens, PJ ratepayers and had no criminal records.
She said both CGG and UPEN would work on the details further, and an eight-person task force had been set up to implement the local election and set up rules and regulations.
Maria stated her worries that Selangor might not be serious about the notion of having elected candidates as councillors.
She said in Penang, not all the elected candidates were later appointed as councillors.
“The current law prohibits local elections, therefore all the elected candidates need to be appointed by the authorities after winning election,” she said.
“I just hope Selangor will be a better role model than Penang,” she said.
Maria was referring to the mock local elections held during the “Penang Forum 3" last year, where eventually ten nominees were elected.
Local elections were suspended during the confrontation between Malaysia and Indonesia in 1964, and sebsequently the councillors have been appointed by state governments.
Councillor not happy with partial election
MBPJ councillor Cynthia Gabriel voiced her dissatisfaction that only partial elections were to be conducted.
She said what civil society and NGOs want is clear, which is a full local election.Cynthia (right), who is a councillor from the NGO quota, however said the MBPJ or the councillors have not been officially briefed about it and so the issue is still unclear to them.
She noted that 25 percent or six seats out of the existing number of councillors are reserved for NGOs.
Meanwhile, Selangor exco member in charge of local government Ronnie Liu was reported by news portal Merdeka Review yesterday as saying that the MBPJ election might be held by the end of the year.
However, he refused to directly comment when asked whether the state government lacked the political will to implement direct elections, instead saying let the people assess the matter.
Malaysiakini also contacted state senior exco member Teresa Kok and exco member Ean Yong Hian Wah, who both confirmed that state government has yet to discuss the issue officially.
Kok said the plan by Selangor was to conduct local council elections by the end of this year, before the councillors’ two-year tenure comes to an end.
“The state government has directed UPEN to come up with recommendations last month , on the implementation,” she said.
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