DAP has been reminded not to simply toss around ideas concerning the proposed Kuala Lumpur local government elections but instead to consult with fellow stakeholders first.
Although the proposal was an interesting idea, it was equally important to engage with the stakeholders beforehand, according to PKR communications director Lee Chean Chung.
“Why wasn’t it discussed in the Pakatan Harapan (PH) meeting followed with engagement sessions to convince those who don’t believe or try to scare others? All this has to be addressed,” he was quoted as saying by Utusan Malaysia today (Dec 21).
“Ideas shouldn’t just be tossed around; engagement needs to be held with stakeholders because a good concept if used to monger fear or if not accepted would only be a wasted effort.”
Lee who is also a Petaling Jaya MP stated that the onus is on the individual who proposed the local government elections to rope in interested parties.
“It has to be done internally first (at DAP level) and then with PH, the unity government, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and eventually the people,” he suggested.
On Sunday (Dec 17), Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai suggested restoring local government elections starting with Kuala Lumpur following the appointment of a minister in-charge of Federal Territories following the Cabinet reshuffle last week.
“We don’t need to continue carrying out local elections throughout the country but we can start in Kuala Lumpur which desperately needs democracy in the process of democratising the administrative system of our nation’s capital,” Tan told the annual Federal Territory DAP convention on Sunday (Dec 17).
Tan’s proposal was met with pushback from conservatives in UMNO and PAS. UMNO supreme council member Datuk Lokman Noor Adam said UMNO will never accept Tan’s suggestion to let the local government election be held.
He further described the suggestion by Tan as an internal movement by the “Lim Dynasty” to sabotage DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke Siew Fook’s leadership. – Dec 21, 2023
