This article is from The Star Online (http://thestar.com.my)
URL: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/3/9/central/5820390&sec=central

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THE proposal by the Penang and Selangor state governments to have elections for local governments received mixed reaction from the existing and former councillors.

Most felt the move would enable the people to select leaders who could serve them at the local council level and do away with non-performers while a few felt the current practice of appointing councillors should remain.

Kelana Jaya MCA chairman Ong Chong Swen stressed on the need to spell out the definition of a candidate who would want to stand for local council election, the details of the implementation and the job specifications.

"Among the things that need to be considered are the quality of the candidates, whether the person is able to handle service-orientated tasks and whether the person can handle a normal job in addition to being a councillor.

"Generally, it is a good thing should the proposal be allowed to go through," said Ong, adding that nobody would object to having local council elections if it allowed them to have a greater say and role in the local authority.

Second-term Petaling Jaya city councillor Latheefa Koya felt it was about time that the state brought the local council elections back to the people.

"It will be able to provide greater tarnsparency and accountability to the voters.

"We will now have to answer to the people rather than the politicians who have appointed us into the council," said Latheefa.

"Kuang assemblyman and former Selayang municipal councillor Abdul Shukur Idrus has challenged the Selangor government to go ahead with the proposal.

If this was implemented, he said the candidates from the opposition parties would get an opportunity to be elected into the local councils.

Petaling Jaya Utara Federal Coordinator Datuk Dr Wong Sai Hou said the current system practised was feasible and did not see a need for the state government to insist on changing it.

"The present system has been used for so long, so are they trying to say there isn't any check and balance to it then?" asked Wong who is also the SS3 Residents Association chairman.

Previously, a councillor who did not perfom well would not be nominated for the next term, hence giving others who could work better a chance to serve the people.

Wong said this was appropriate and found no reason to change this.

"The current system should be retained and more people such as community leaders and retirees should be included into sub-commitees for a more "people-oriented" council," he said.

Subang Jaya municipal councillor Rajiv Rishyakaran was also supportive to having local government elections.

"The local council is the one that makes the policies that are close to the people's hearts, like business licences, garbage collection and landscaping budget.

"It is important for the people to have a say in electing the policy-makers who determine the policies that directly affect them," he said.

MPAJ president Datuk Mohammad Yacob said local council elections had been held before but scrapped after some time.

"The state government should find out why local council elections did not work in the past," he said, adding that he believed that the government had the people's best interests at heart when proposing the idea.

MPSJ president Datuk Adnan Md Ikshan declined to comment on the issue as he said the proposal had political implications.
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