PROMISE 25

In April 2018, Minister of Housing and Local Government Zuraida Kamaruddin stated that the government is still working on the mechanisms for the implementation of local government elections. The Ministry will submit the local government election plan to the Cabinet by the year 2021.

We would like to emphasize that the implementation of local council elections is an important policy shift. While we acknowledge that it was removed from the Pakatan Harapan manifesto in the 14th general elections, the subsequent commitment made by the Minister of Housing and Local Government shows that it is without a doubt an integral part of the reform agenda in relation to local authorities and it must be seriously pursued. It bears reiterating that it is vital for local council members to be elected by the people as they are the third and most basic level of governance who understand the needs and requirements of the local community much better than the Federal Government. Local councillors will not only provide checks and balances in the administration but also enable better community participation in the decision-making process. The third vote will improve governance at all levels, elevate integrity and accountability, enforce prudent public finance management as well as enhance public service delivery.

We note that the Ministry is currently holding various consultation process with stakeholders, including non-governmental organisations and grassroot community leaders. This is indeed an important process to gather feedback and come out with a holistic plan for reforms and elections of the councillors.