Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh has instructed her ministry to conduct a study on the feasibility of holding a mayoral election for Kuala Lumpur.
She said the ministry is considering such an election as it would be more practical than electing multiple city councillors through local council polls.
Yeoh pointed out that the current administrative structure already involves “too many units”, with the capital overseen simultaneously by a mayor, MPs and Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) advisers.
“If I were the mayor, whose advice would I have to take? Would I have to listen to the elected MPs, the DBKL advisers, or the city councillors?” she was quoted as saying in an interview with China Press.
Yeoh said if the local council election is reinstated in the future, a direct election would then take place for the Kuala Lumpur mayor or for city councillors, but not both at the same time.
Local council elections, particularly in the capital, have long been a contentious issue.
At present, Kuala Lumpur and DBKL are under federal control, with the city administered by a government-appointed mayor.
Critics have argued that this structure concentrates power in the hands of the mayor, with limited checks and balances compared to other local councils.
However, right-wing Malay-based political parties have long opposed the local council election, claiming it would erode Malay power in urban areas where non-Malays are the majority.
Different election procedures
The minister said mayoral and local council elections would also require different procedures from a general election, including separate considerations on costs, laws, voter eligibility and voter registration.
“In a general election, anyone aged 18 and above can vote. But in a mayoral election, we need to clarify whether eligibility depends on being a homeowner, a tenant, or someone who works in Kuala Lumpur,” Yeoh said.
She added that amendments to the Federal Capital Act 1960 would be required if such elections were to be held, and that new legislation might be considered if the amendments proved too extensive.
Yeoh also said a separate study on local council elections will be conducted by the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), with findings expected in March, which will be made public.
The research and preparation on the matter were still needed, regardless of whether a mayoral election can ultimately be carried out, Yeoh said, assuring that MPs and the public would eventually be notified and given a clearer explanation.
Oversight committees to advise mayor
Yeoh also said DBKL’s five new oversight committees, chaired by MPs, would improve monitoring of development projects and provide advisory input to the mayor.
This is because MPs previously had no access to DBKL’s internal processes and were often only made aware of development plans after approvals had been granted.
“When the development plan is still in the One-Stop Integrated Centre, MPs will know that they can also provide advice to the mayor before the mayor makes a decision,” she said.
On Jan 19, Yeoh announced that the committees would also oversee DBKL’s 2026 budget, review key city policies and help improve the administration of the capital.
The committee chairpersons are Batu MP P Prabakaran (Sustainable Business), Bandar Tun Razak MP Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (Public Housing Projects and Community Welfare), Wangsa Maju MP Zahir Hassan (Flood Mitigation, Road Maintenance, Slope Management and Maintenance), Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng (Systems Management and Traffic) and Seputeh MP Teresa Kok (Clean, Green Cities and Sustainable Development).
Reviving local polls
Calls to reinstate local council elections in Kuala Lumpur resurfaced in November last year following the abrupt end of former mayor Maimunah Sharif’s tenure.
She was replaced the following day by Fadlun Mak Ujud, with the approval of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
At the time, Setiawangsa MP Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said Kuala Lumpur residents have no say in how the city is governed, calling for “long-overdue reforms” to curb the concentration of power in the mayor’s office.
He also cited Pakatan Harapan’s 2022 general election manifesto, which pledged to strengthen democratic participation at the local level.
Nik Nazmi was joined by six other Kuala Lumpur MPs who submitted a Private Members’ Bill to Parliament, seeking to amend the Federal Capital Act 1960, and calling for a councillor-based governance system for the nation’s capital. - Mkini
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