The Pakatan-Rakyat- governed states must be pushed to revive local council elections, said Writers Alliance for Media Independence (Wami) chairperson Wong Chin Huat.

wong chin huatWong was speaking at a forum held at the Royal Lake Club in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. The topic centred on reforms for the local councils.

Elaborating, the journalism lecturer said it would cost under RM200 million to hold local council elections nationwide.

However, Wong did not discount that partisan politics and race will play influential roles.

"The reality is local council elections would be ethnic-centric and party interest would be pushed forth by the members," he said.

According to Wong, the quickest way towards realising local government elections is for a MP to move for a private bill.

At the same time, he pointed out, there needs to be mass public support.

liew chin tongResponding to this, DAP parliamentarian Liew Chin Tong said: "Parties are important to make consolidated decisions."

The Bukit Bendera MP added: "The joint income of Penang Island Municipal Council and Seberang Perai Municipal Council was around RM 400 million compared to Penang state government budgeted expenditure which is RM318 million. The income was RM282 million"

On DAP’s stand regarding local elections, Liew quoted DAP secretary general and Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, who said "local council elections would be held by the end of our term."

Liew added that the party would strive towards making the three-tier democracy meaningful and effective.

Let the people choose

Earlier, Universiti Malaya economics lecturer Dr S Kuppusamy presented an overall assessment of local government in Malaysia.

He also called for local council elections, stating that the people should be allowed to democratically elect those who sit in these councils.

Meanwhile, Bar Council human rights committee member Andrew Khoo spoke on the legal framework for local elections.

"The last local government election was held in 1963 under the Local Government Elections Act 1960. It was shelved since 2 March 1965 due to the Malaysia - Indonesia confrontation.

"The act is suspended but it has been revised several times. The last revision was made in 1991. The act was suspended in 1964, 1973 and 1976."

In his opinion, Khoo stressed that "the Local Government Elections Act 1976 is still very much alive "

The forum, attended by some 30 people, was co-organised by the Centre for Public Policy Studies and Malaysia Think Tank.

Director of CPPS Tricia Yeoh Su informed the audience that the organisers had tried in vain to get Federal Territories Minister Zulhasnan Rafique and Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister, Shahrir Samad as panelists.