YOURSAY | Bring back the ballot box, start with big cities

YOURSAY | ‘There should be no taxation without representation.’

No reviving of local elections as it will be too expensive, Parliament told

Siva1967: The government need not launch an all-out local council election in one go (if it costs RM302 million for all of the 151 local councils).

For a start, such elections can be held for city status councils, like Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bharu and Ipoh, and gradually expand the process.

In line with major metros of the world, the position of city mayor is a very crucial role. To be accountable, the mayor should preferably be an elected person instead of an appointed one.

The financial performance of the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) should be made public and its infrastructure and development plans clearly presented.

Furthermore, Malaysia had these elections in the past (prior to 1970). Many of the KL municipality presidents (as the post was known then since KL only became a city in 1974) were non-Malays.

In actual fact, this is the real fear and not about it being expensive but more of it “falling into the hands” of the non-Malays.

Exile: The two issues raised by the Housing and Local Government Minister Reezal Merican Naina Merican are easily resolved if it is agreed that the ideals that the polity seeks are first, developing a mature democracy and second, developing an ethic of accountability (financial morality) in public officials.

In the first instance, in a democracy, the right to elect their representatives is accompanied by the responsibility to pay taxes. So, it makes good sense to allow local councils that collect habitation and property taxes to have elections to ensure accountability for the services they provide.

In the second instance, the minister can rest assured that errant public officials will be quickly voted out of office.

In general, local council elections will also provide the opportunity for aspiring politicians to establish a track record on which they can be evaluated when they run for even higher office.

OMG: To the 32 million Malaysians, for 58 years you have been robbed of your constitutional right to elect local councillors to run your 151 local councils efficiently and effectively.

You have lost your power to judge every councillor's track record and remove them by voting them out, once every two years. This is because their power to levy rates and taxes on you is balanced by your power to elect and kick them out as you judge best.

This minister dares to say that this is done to save you money. Now if we 32 million Malaysians take this lying down, then we deserve to have such third-class governance.

Are you good men and strong women or just useless wallflowers? Make sure every vote counts!

Public Transit Is Better: The moment local election happens, they know that the crown jewel and money machine of the federal government would be in the hands of a Pakatan Harapan mayor.

Right now, I don’t even know who’s my mayor in the city I live in, or even my local councillor in my district.

They are totally unaccountable too, and I believe that the RM302 million in running these elections is a small sum compared to the potential billions in costs for screw-ups that unelected and unaccountable councillors can cause.

The Analyser: That’s the same pathetic excuse that former PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad used to can local government elections.

So, how expensive has all the waste, corruption and inefficiencies cost because the appointed commissioners controlling local government don’t care about their task?

Local government is the training ground for budding politicians as well.

It’s very clear the present collection of numbskulls has never had to deal with the realities of roads, drains and ditches. And they certainly don’t care for the feelings of their voters… unless of course, it’s to gain political kudos from their actions.

Fair Malaysian: Just stop paying the quit rent and assessment, then you can see the reaction. There is no other way to make these people come to their senses. As ratepayers, we have a right to choose councillors.

One of the greatest travesties in this denial is cities like KL. Despite the majority of the seats in Pakatan Harapan’s hands, an unelected mayor and a minister are in the driving seat.

The attitude of the government is most foul. RM2 million per council to conduct an election is peanuts compared to the amount being collected from ratepayers. And what a cheap excuse.

Rakyat 622: So, saving money is the issue because it cost so much to have local council elections.

Alright, let’s save the cost of the general election. If any elected MP jumps to another party or becomes independent, let him bear the cost for the election in his area. We are not going to let public funds be wasted for his personal agenda.

Frankly, the Election Commission should come up with rules to deter this behaviour.

Plebeian: Indeed, elections shouldn't have a price tag. You do it because it's the right thing to do.

NoobMaster69: Here’s one very simple solution - hold the local council election together with the general election or state election.

All this is just excuses, excuses, excuses. If you can find a way to topple an elected government, what is a local council election to you? Are you scared you cannot offer them a position and therefore will lose their support?

Kunta Kinte: If we could do it in 1963 when Malaysia was much less developed, why not now?

If elected councillors are no good, we can drop them in the next election. We can't drop a civil servant if he is not performing.

By the same logic of the excuse the minister gave, we should forget about the national election as nothing good could come from it.

Gajah Duduk: According to the Local Government Ministry’s answer over the reasons not to reinstate local council elections, we can also scrap state and federal elections as well since they too cost money, and the performance of the elected representatives is also not guaranteed.

What kind of idiots do they take us for? At the very least, just say you are "studying the matter" and may plan local elections in the federal territories at "some point in the future".

Come on, which imbecile writes these replies (to Parliament questions)? They don't even pretend to care!

PurpleZebra9178: Yes, total nonsense. There should be no taxation without representation.

Politicians are scared of local elections since they can be removed if they don't perform. The ‘third vote’ refusal also reinforces the current feudal system of granting positions in return for loyalty.

The opposition should make this a platform for GE15.

Newday: What lame reasons - too expensive and not the right councillors?

Your current way of appointing councillors is inherently corrupt. Zero accountability for any of them. Secrecy abounds. Budgets vs expenditure are not subject to decent public scrutiny.

Look at DBKL, a non-majority area and almost zero representation. Is that not corrupted?

Wither Justice: Nothing more costly for the rakyat than corruption. We need to bring back the ballot box. Start with big cities.

Local authorities collect a lot in assessments with little returned to dwellers. 

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