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Contributed by Pierre Lim
 MALACCA, May 11: The Malacca Bar Committee organised a forum entitled, “Towards
a Better Local Government” on Friday, May 11. The 3-hour event at the Legacy
Hotel featured 4 speakers, Dato’ Sharir Abdul Samad who is chairman of the
Public Accounts Committee and MP for Johor Bahru, R.Nadeswaran of theSun’s
“Citizen Nades” column, Lim Guan Eng the Secretary-General of the
Democratic Action Party and Lim Teck Ghee, Ex-Asli Director and former Senior
Social Scientist with the World Bank.
Most of the seats were fully taken up by more than 500 people
comprising members of the Bar, the media and the public. The moderator of the
forum was former Bar Council chairman and senior member of the Bar
R.R.Chelvarajah.
The first speaker, Shahrir, spoke on the topic of “Elected Representation
versus Appointed Representation”.
He noted the changes that have taken place
in Malaysian society over time, a “transformation” wherein there is now a
well-informed and better educated citizens’ group that required the government
to adjust accordingly and make “real changes”. He said that issues such as
greater accountability, transparency, efficiency and tackling corruption could
be achieved in more ways than one, and local government elections may not be the
best solution as believed by many.
The key to change lies in the Malaysian Civil Service which
he felt was slowly but surely getting its house right. One idea that he mooted
was to make the local government the third layer of government after the federal
and state governments. Stopping short of suggesting direct elections, he said
that a pilot project could be introduced whereby the finance and administration
of local authorities are reformed to put into effect positive values such as
integrity, accountability, punishment and reward.
The second speaker, Nadeswaran spoke of the need for serious reforms and
lamented the lack of an open tender system for projects from local authorities.
Recently-published reports in which local councils gained notoriety for their
patronage system, lack of transparency, abuse and lack of accountability were
aired.
He spoke of the need for direct elections and said: “Put an
honest guy there, just one honest man, plug in the loopholes. It will not happen
overnight but after a few years, you can spread it to the other local councils.”
The third speaker, Guan Eng spoke on the topic of “Local Government, the
Malacca Story”. Guan Eng noted the general decline in the quality and
standards of services rendered by the Malacca local council over the years. He
cited the Athi Nahappan Royal Commission (1965) Report which recommended the
direct election of local councils and asked why Malaysia, unlike its neighbours
Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and Cambodia, did not allow the local elections
of Councilors and Mayors. He spoke of the need for Malaysia to allow more
grassroots democracy such as local council elections.
The fourth speaker, Teck Ghee, spoke on the topic of “Facts, Fallacies and
the Public Interest”. Teck Ghee said that no half measures should be taken
nor “pussy-footing around” but that real change came from facing the facts,
however unsavory they may be, and direct elections were needed. He cited the
Athi Nahappan and spoke in favour of having a Second Royal Commission appointed
to study the pros and cons of our local councils today. During the Question and
Answer time at the end of the forum, when asked what were the “guarantees” in
having a Second Royal Commission, he said:
”If we don’t put pressure, use our votes, talk to elected
representatives, then we deserve the government that we get.”
Time constraints did not allow too many questions to be fielded, but the forum
was on the whole a civil and amicable public discussion of current issues of
public interest. Although the speakers had strong and divergent views on the
issues, there was a respectable discourse without descending to any name-calling
or personal attacks. Teck Ghee praised the Malacca Bar Committee for its
“courage” in organising the forum and Nadeswaran and Guan Eng hoped that there
would be more such forums forthcoming. Dato’ Shahrir felt he had benefited the
most from among the four speakers that evening as the forum had helped him to
articulate his thoughts on the matter. 
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