Bersih echoes call for local elections, starting with KL

 

Bersih chairman Faisal Abdul Aziz said local government elections could be introduced through a pilot project.

PETALING JAYA: The reinstatement of local council elections should not be hindered by racial concerns, yet the issues raised by parties warrant attention, electoral reform group Bersih said.

Bersih chairman Faisal Abdul Aziz said Kuala Lumpur’s population was multi-ethnic, with Malays forming the largest group.

He said, according to figures from the statistics department, Malays made up 41.5% of the population, followed by Chinese (36.2%) and Indians (8.9%), while those of other ethnicities made up 1.1%. The remaining 12.3% are non-citizens.

“With these statistics in mind, it is quite certain that whoever is interested in nominating a candidate for a local government election would be sure to consider prioritising a Malay candidate,” he said.

However, Faisal said one should not push aside concerns raised by various parties.

“To make local government elections a reality, we need to be considerate and open to hearing the voices of other parties.

“Local government elections could be reintroduced through a pilot project, so that the benefits of a local government are better shared with the people,” he added.

Faisal also said that, at this stage, local government elections were not the only solution because localised issues today were complex.

“For example, the people have the autonomy to resolve local issues through the joint management bodies for apartments, which is different from the old system.”

Over the weekend, Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai urged Putrajaya to start local government elections in the capital city first to bolster democracy, a proposal that Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh called “insensitive and provocative”.

Umno veterans have also rejected the call to reintroduce local elections in Kuala Lumpur.

Umno Veterans’ Club secretary Mustapha Yaakub said DAP representatives would easily win in Chinese-majority constituencies if local polls were reinstated.

Yesterday, federal territories minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa said she would discuss the proposal with local government development minister Nga Kor Ming.

She said while there were higher priority matters to deal with, she did not rule out the importance of such elections. - FMT