Ex-Penang councillor makes clarion call for local gov't elections

Last year, Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin vowed to convince the prime minister to allow local government elections but, so far, this remains unfulfilled.

Former Penang Island city councillor Lim Mah Hui (photo) said the Local Government Act (1976) provides meaningful opportunities for members of the public to participate in matters of local governance. 

The opportunities, among others, range from attending council meetings to providing input and objections to planning.

"However, these are subject to the consent of the local council, which, unfortunately, is often withheld. There is no encouragement of genuine and meaningful public participation," Lim told Malaysiakini.

"Whatever little public participation afforded is limited to formalities."

Lim, who is a vocal member of NGO Penang Forum, has published his views and his journey as an activist in his maiden book — Local Democracy Denied?

Spanning 13 chapters and 145 pages, the book will be launched on Sunday at Wawasan University. 

Published by the Strategic Information and Research Development Centre, the book launch will be followed by a forum comprising of Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy, Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism executive director Cynthia Gabriel, Think City senior executive Nicole Thum and Universiti Sains Malaysia senior lecturer Azmil Tayeb.

Lim said a major conclusion of the book shows a "huge deficit" in public participation —  not to mention elections — in local government.

He said people want a greater say, to have more public participation, and to have the right to vote for their representatives.

"The rakyat is ready, but what about the government?"

Lim said the conclusion was derived after an analysis of the history of local government in Malaysia and a contemporary analysis of local government.

This involves how a local government functions based on Lim's experience serving as a councillor in Penang Island City Council for six years.

Lim said some may view the book overly critical of the state government.

"While being critical, our purpose is not to disparage, castigate or to destroy.

"Our purpose is to build a better society, a brighter future," Lim said.

"Just as in biology, a doctor has to analyse and diagnose a patient before a prescription can be recommended, so in society, understanding problems, recognising and acknowledging challenges and weaknesses are the first steps to finding solutions," he clarified.

Lim denied being an arm-chair critic and distant spectator, saying he was intimately involved in serving the city council representing civil society, with the hope that he could use his professional experience to strengthen local governance.

"The critic is not the enemy; the enemies are the sycophants and yes-men who blindly follow their leaders," he said.

"Nowhere is this more clearly demonstrated than in the tragic 1MDB mega scandal." - Mkini