Local elections for KL when the time is right, FT minister says

Newly minted Federal Territories Minister Khalid Samad has pledged to hold mayoral election in Kuala Lumpur, but only when the time is right.

"This is something we will do," he told a press conference after meeting lawmakers from Kuala Lumpur.

According to Khalid, waiting for when the timing and situation are right would not give any party any cause to take issue with these local elections.

On May 26, Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin promised that local elections would be held in three years.  

Zuraida's ministry governs the local councils nationwide, while Khalid's ministry oversees the three Federal Territories – Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan.

Khalid also said that the implementation of local elections needs to be looked at in a holistic manner.

"We need to make sure that when we implement it, we can implement it in a manner which will not create any misunderstanding.

"It is not something we don't want to do, but this is something that we will do when the timing and situation is right, because there is a lot of issues which have made it a sensitive issue in our society," he said.

As an example, Khalid cited the controversial appointment of Tommy Thomas as the new attorney-general – but stopped short of saying that certain quarters would see the issue from a racial perspective.

"We want to get the people to understand why it needs to be done because it is part and parcel of the democratic structure of a democratic society," he said.

When asked if the Harapan government is happy with the current Kuala Lumpur mayor Amin Nordin Abd Aziz, he noted shortcomings in the mayor.

"There are always shortcoming, nobody is perfect," he said.

However, there is no decision for the government to replace the mayor, for the time being, he said.

"We will sort out the issue when we meet but at the moment there is no decision," he said.

The first such elections in Kuala Lumpur was held in February 1952 where 12 out of the 18 councillors in the then Kuala Lumpur Municipal Council were elected.

It was suspended in 1965 during the confrontation with Indonesia. -Mkini