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©The
Sun (Used by permission)
by Goh Ban Lee
PETALING JAYA (March 10, 2008): The DAP and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) are the
new government in Penang while PAS and PKR in Kedah. The three parties also form
the new state governments of Perak and Selangor. In effect they have also taken
control of two local councils in Penang, 15 in Perak, 12 in Selangor and 11 in
Kedah and the local authority of the Kulim High-Tech Park.
This control over the local authorities gives the three parties enormous added
power, but it also poses a dilemma for DAP and PKR which have been calling for
elected local government. PAS appears to be silent on this issue.
An important mechanism of control is the appointment of the presidents or mayors
and councillors. Those in the four states can be replaced by new appointees.
However, it is doubtful if many presidents or mayors will be changed immediately
because they are seconded officers from the civil service and are supposed to be
impartial to political parties.
The likely changes in the immediate future are the councilors, since the
existing ones in Kedah, Penang, Perak and Selangor are nominees of Barisan
Nasional (BN) component parties. Apart from those who are heads of government
departments, they are members or supporters of Umno, MCA, Gerakan, MIC and PPP.
There are legitimate reasons for the new state governments to take immediate
steps to replace them.
But there is no necessity to follow past practice. It would be an irony if among
the first acts of the new governments is to follow a practice of the BN that the
DAP and PKR have condemned as wrong.
The right thing to do is to bring back elected presidents or mayors and
councillors in the local councils of the four states and Kelantan.
After all, the DAP has been calling for “Bringing Back the Third Vote”, with
secretary-general Lim Guan Eng as the leader of the campaign.
It may also be useful to recall that in December 1998, then Penang DAP state
organising secretary Danny Law Heng Kiang was reported to have stated in the
Penang State Assembly: “In view of severe problems such as landslides, floods,
traffic jams, inefficient garbage disposal, sewerage problems and misuse of
power, it is time for councillors to be elected so that they can be accountable
to the public and resolve problems efficiently and effectively”. Law is now the
DAP state secretary and a newly elected state assemblyman of the ruling party.
Now that the DAP and PKR are the government in Penang with Lim as the chief
minister designate, it is only logical to expect the state government to quickly
take serious steps to bring about election for local councillors and set a good
example for others to follow.
Unfortunately, even if the state government wanted to, this cannot be done. The
Local Government Act does not provide for elected presidents or mayors and
councillors. It is also doubtful if there are laws to hold local government
elections.
At present there is little hope that the federal government will agree to amend
the law to bring back elected local government. But this should not be an excuse
for the DAP and PKR to do nothing.
The Penang state government and “Barisan Rakyat” state governments of Kedah,
Perak and Selangor should immediately stop the practice of appointing only
members and supporters from parties that form the state government. Instead,
until local government elections are reintroduced, it should adopt a new system
that allows the rate-payers and local non-governmental organisations to nominate
community leaders, businessmen and prominent professionals to serve as
councillors.
An independent panel should be established in each state to scrutinise all
nominees and recommend the names of selected persons to the state governments to
be appointed councillors.
A system to appoint local council presidents or mayors should also be
established.
Government officers should not be heads of governments. The most senior post for
a government officer in a council should be the municipal secretary.
A change, of course, is not easy. There will be pressure to maintain the present
system.
Party members are expecting handouts. Councillor posts are very attractive
incentives to recruit new members. Local councils are very good training grounds
for budding politicians and serving as councillors allows them opportunities to
serve the public before standing for elections.
But a promise is a promise. The next election is only four to five years away.
Goh is a retired academic interested in urban governance, housing and
urban planning.
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