PKR: DAP should've discussed local govt polls with Harapan first

DAP's proposal to revive local council elections should have been discussed internally with Pakatan Harapan first, a PKR leader said.

PKR communications director Lee Chean Chung said this could have helped to gain better acceptance of the idea.

"Why wasn't it discussed in the Harapan meeting and then have engagement sessions to convince those who don't believe or try to scare others? All this has to be handled.

"Ideas shouldn't just be tossed around, engagement needs to be held with stakeholders because a good concept if used to monger fear or is not accepted, then it would be a wasted effort," he was quoted as saying by Utusan Malaysia.

Last Sunday, Federal Territories DAP chief Tan Kok Wai mooted that local council elections should be reintroduced, with Kuala Lumpur as the first testing ground.

The proposal was met with pushback from conservatives in Umno, PAS, and Bersatu - who argued that local government elections would result in racial tensions due to DAP's dominance in such polls.

Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man

Such fears were played up against by PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, who repeated allegations that local council polls would erode Malay political power.

As such, Tuan Ibrahim said that Prime Minister Anwar needed to stop it.

"Anwar must stop this agenda if he wants the rakyat to see that the Madani government is not under DAP's thumb.

"We can't compromise on this agenda, because we fear that if we are too kind and cede ground, eventually we will be gradually pushed out," he said in a statement today.

Unkept promise

During the 2022 general election, Harapan pledged to let KL-ites have a democratic say in how the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) is run but stopped short of pledging local council elections outright.

The last time Malaysia held a local council election was in 1963. The next round, which was supposed to be held the following year, was suspended.

The temporary suspension became permanent in 1976 when Parliament passed the Local Government Act, resulting in the abolishment of the local government election altogether and only provided for the appointment of local councillors. - Mkini