Local Government Elections
Ever since the Pakatan Rakyat took office in few state governments in the last general elections, calls to expedite the implementation for local government (city councils, municipal councils, district councils) elections from all walks of lives can be heard everywhere. Some of us are even why isn’t the local government elections being carried out to-date as the Pakatan is already in power in those states.
Well, unknown to many of us are some constraints that need to be addressed and overruled if local government elections were to take place. Firstly, the Local Government Act needs to be amended to allow elections to be carried out at city, municipal and distcit level councils. What we do understand is the current Act did not allow the position of councillors to be directly elected via elections.
Secondly, in order to amend the Local Government Act, the Pakatan component parties needs the sufficient votes of majority to push for the Act to be reformed, but currently the Barisan still commands the simple majority in the house. As such, if Pakatan were to seriously thinking of pushing for this Act to be reformed, they need to come up with a strategy to convince the Barisan members of parliament to vote for the change as well. But will the Barisan whip allow their members of parliament vote freely in accordance with their conscience?
Then, prior to that, there are also quite a number of bureaucratic procedures and hassles that the Pakatan needs to undergo before it could finally implement the local government elections. It also needs to obtain the endorsement from the local government council, a federal body which overseas the implementation and legislation on local governance and it is also dominated by Barisan appointed members. Then the Elections Commission (EC) which is also a Barisan-controlled entity is also another problem for Pakatan.
With the federal level still controlled by the Barisan although with slim majority, a lots of hassles and challenges Pakatan need to undergo before it could finally carry out its plans for the local government elections. But will Barisan ever let Pakatan bypass all these proceedings easily then? It would be a no!
Because of all these hassles and bureaucratic procedures that Pakatan need to undergo, none of us would be able to imagine how tough these processes would be as Barisan would not just give its way like that.
However, whenever there is a blockade, there is still al alternative. The Pakatan-led state governments could use its powers in the state legislative assemblies to establish a premature implementation by moving a motion to create a 500 to 600 member electoral committee in each of their states to elect members of the city, municipal and district councils. Members of the state electoral committees should also comprise of people representing all levels of interest and fields i.e. residents associations, non-governmental organizations, human rights groups, environmental groups, educationist, trade unionist, consumer associations, professional institutions representing logisticians, lawyers, accountants, etc, chambers of commerce, religious organizations (particularly the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism), youth groups, the SPCA and a lot more.
We are certain that by first having a sizeable electoral committee to kick start the local government elections to elect our local councillors, our people would be too happy to participate in it eventhough it is not yet a direct election.
Furthermore, this kind of implementation does not contravene with the Local Government Act and whatsoever existing law pertaining to the city, municipal and district councils. At lease there would be a starting point, a roadmap towards achieving the actual goal of having a third vote for our people.
Therefore, we would suggest that the Pakatan-led state governments should first implement this exercise by establishing a state electoral committee to start off with the initial third vote for our people before an opportunity for direct elections could be carried out in near future.
If you are doing it now, at least you will fulfill about 70 percent of your effort.
Well, unknown to many of us are some constraints that need to be addressed and overruled if local government elections were to take place. Firstly, the Local Government Act needs to be amended to allow elections to be carried out at city, municipal and distcit level councils. What we do understand is the current Act did not allow the position of councillors to be directly elected via elections.
Secondly, in order to amend the Local Government Act, the Pakatan component parties needs the sufficient votes of majority to push for the Act to be reformed, but currently the Barisan still commands the simple majority in the house. As such, if Pakatan were to seriously thinking of pushing for this Act to be reformed, they need to come up with a strategy to convince the Barisan members of parliament to vote for the change as well. But will the Barisan whip allow their members of parliament vote freely in accordance with their conscience?
Then, prior to that, there are also quite a number of bureaucratic procedures and hassles that the Pakatan needs to undergo before it could finally implement the local government elections. It also needs to obtain the endorsement from the local government council, a federal body which overseas the implementation and legislation on local governance and it is also dominated by Barisan appointed members. Then the Elections Commission (EC) which is also a Barisan-controlled entity is also another problem for Pakatan.
With the federal level still controlled by the Barisan although with slim majority, a lots of hassles and challenges Pakatan need to undergo before it could finally carry out its plans for the local government elections. But will Barisan ever let Pakatan bypass all these proceedings easily then? It would be a no!
Because of all these hassles and bureaucratic procedures that Pakatan need to undergo, none of us would be able to imagine how tough these processes would be as Barisan would not just give its way like that.
However, whenever there is a blockade, there is still al alternative. The Pakatan-led state governments could use its powers in the state legislative assemblies to establish a premature implementation by moving a motion to create a 500 to 600 member electoral committee in each of their states to elect members of the city, municipal and district councils. Members of the state electoral committees should also comprise of people representing all levels of interest and fields i.e. residents associations, non-governmental organizations, human rights groups, environmental groups, educationist, trade unionist, consumer associations, professional institutions representing logisticians, lawyers, accountants, etc, chambers of commerce, religious organizations (particularly the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism), youth groups, the SPCA and a lot more.
We are certain that by first having a sizeable electoral committee to kick start the local government elections to elect our local councillors, our people would be too happy to participate in it eventhough it is not yet a direct election.
Furthermore, this kind of implementation does not contravene with the Local Government Act and whatsoever existing law pertaining to the city, municipal and district councils. At lease there would be a starting point, a roadmap towards achieving the actual goal of having a third vote for our people.
Therefore, we would suggest that the Pakatan-led state governments should first implement this exercise by establishing a state electoral committee to start off with the initial third vote for our people before an opportunity for direct elections could be carried out in near future.
If you are doing it now, at least you will fulfill about 70 percent of your effort.
