Thesun 2009-07-16 Page11 Penang Push For Local Elections

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| THURSDAY JULY 16 2009

INTERVIEWS VIEWS

Penang push for local elections AN unusual resolution is expected to be go ahead and set up an independent panel to passed in Penang next month when the select its municipal councillors. This panel, state assembly convenes again. The Pakatan made up of five to nine members of citizens Rakyat-dominated house is likely to approve a of good reputation, would be responsible for motion that calls on the federal government to selecting councillors by holding “informal” bring back local government elections. elections “to keep the flames of local democMost Malaysians, specifically those aged racy alive in Penang.” below 45 years, have never seen such elecThe idea, obviously, was to ingeniously tions. However, for those who have waited circumvent the barriers brought about by the patiently since March 2008 when the state LGA. government changed hands, the Penang as“The state government should draw up sembly’s move would seem only due. Both the terms of reference for the workings of the DAP and PKR had promised in their pre-elec- IPSC,” the report said. “These should include tion campaign to revive the elections if they clauses to ensure spatial and geographical formed the next state government. distribution of councillors, gender participaBut as soon as they did, they found them- tion, ethnic participation and educational selves thwarted by federal legislation enacted level.” in 1976. The Local Government Act (LGA) Understandably, the painstaking process stipulates, in no uncertain terms, in its section the working group went through in coming 10 that state authorities only appoint council- up with this proposal was not without its lors, including the presidents.To make things complicated deliberations. even harder, section 15(1) further specifies: There was, for example, a view that the “Not withstanding anything to the state could exempt any area of the contrary contained in any written local government from sections law, all provisions relating to local 10 and 15 of the LGA, by enacting government elections shall cease to its own laws providing for local have force or effect.” government elections. But it was For a country that once used also pointed out that the preamble to have vibrant local government to the LGA sets out that the Act was elections, Malaysia took a grievmade for the purpose of ensuring ous turn when the institution was uniformity of law and policy on losuspended in 1965. The clauses in cal government. the LGA then paved the way for For Penang to refuse to follow TheNutmeg any provision in the LGA would the final nails to be placed on the coffin. only raise a constitutional crisis. Verses The pressure nevertheless There were also other quesmounted on the new state admin- by Himanshu Bhatt tions. For instance, even if the state istration earlier this year to deliver. authority did go ahead with the Compelled to respond, it formed a elections, would it get much-needed panel, dubbed “Local Government Elections support from federal-controlled agencies like Working Group”, chaired by academician Dr the Election Commission and relevant secuGoh Ban Lee. rity departments? The political imbroglio in Against all legal odds, the group was tasked Perak was fresh in everyone’s minds. with an ambitious mission to set up a road Adding to such constraints, the working map towards local government elections in group was informed that the Penang governPenang. As unenviable as it seemed, the task ment would have to get the consent of the was laden with immense historical import. National Council for Local Governments According to a report issued by the group – dominated by Barisan Nasional – before last month, George Town was the first local local government elections could be held. council in the country to have a fully elected In such a context, what is important now council, with a president elected from among is that the working group set up by the state the councillors, in 1956. has acknowledged that local government In fact, the very first experiment in elected elections are necessary. And by passing a representatives in government was carried resolution, the Penang government would out in 1857. This was when three out of the etch in stone its commitment to the principle five municipal commissioners for the George of having elections. Town Municipal Commission were elected. “Elections ensure accountability,” says the Though the system was abolished in 1913, it working group’s report. “The people have a was reintroduced in 1951 when nine out of chance to choose their government.” the 15 commissioners were elected. It may just be the first firm step to ensure Today, any state authority wanting to bring that the revival of the institution of local back the practice is faced with mammoth government elections is more than just a 45legislative restrictions. year-old pipe dream. Put up against such odds, the working group came up with a radical proposal. It suggested that while waiting for legal hurdles Himanshu is theSun’s Penang bureau chief. to be cleared, the Penang government should Comment: [email protected].

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History will have the last word AS pointed out in “It takes courage to make amends” (Letters, July 14) one needs nothing less than courage to reverse the language policy that made Bahasa Malaysia the sole medium of instruction in our national schools and relegated the English language to a marginal role. Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad did just that before the end of his tenure after realising, belatedly, the importance of a language which, willy-nilly, has now become a global one. One other interpretation has it that he did it to redeem his name lest it be recorded in history that his uncompromising stance on the use of Bahasa Malaysia led to a situation which became partly responsible for creating a critical mass of “unemployable graduates”. And another interpretation says that it was to

rid this country of every vestige of colonialism but having succeeded in doing so, it “threw the baby out with the bath-water”. Today, it is only an obscurantist who would deny the usefulness of English as a tool for the acquisition of knowledge. In fact, long before Tun held the education portfolio in the 70s, Tunku Abdul Rahman (in 1967) introduced the National Language Act in Parliament in support of the teaching of English as a second language, but the former together with Syed Nasir Ismail, Datuk Harun Idris and Abdul Rahman Yaakub preferred to be absent at the end of the debate. Sylvester Goh Petaling Jaya

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