CSM: Restore Local Council Elections Call

Joint Press statement issued by

Mr. Ng Peng Kong, Melaka Bar Committee Chairman
Dr. Lim Teck Ghee, Director, Centre for Policy Initiatives
Mr. Wong Chin Huat, Civil Society Parliamentary Initiative for Parliamentary Reform

This press statement is issued as the outcome of the “Road Map to Local Government Elections” Conference jointly organized by the Malacca Bar Committee, Centre for Policy Initiatives and Civil Society Initiative for Parliamentary Reform (CSI-Parliament) on July 26 2008 in Malacca.

Participants at the one day conference adopted the following resolutions:

1. the restoration of local elections constitutes an important step forward in reviving democracy, improving the standard of governance, and checking the scourge of corruption, excesses and mismanagement presently plaguing the urban population in Malaysia;

2. the restoration of local elections lies clearly within the jurisdiction of the state government, as provided for by the Article 113(4) and Item 4, List II, Schedule 9 in the Federal Constitution. State governments, especially the Pakatan Rakyat ones which have made election promises on reviving local elections, should take immediate steps to formulate state laws to such effect;

3. the Federal Government should, at the same time, initiate consultations with the general public and hold negotiations with the state governments to formulate a comprehensive plan to have local elections that are clean, free, fair and representative.

Speakers at the conference included the following:
Professor Abdul Aziz BARI is lecturing at the Department of Public Law at the International Islamic University.
Tan Sri Dato’ Dr CHIN Fook Weng is a national speaker for Gerakan and a former senator and Associate Professor.
Mr Derek FERNANDES is a town planning lawyer and a member of the Petaling Jaya City Council.
Dr GOH Ban Lee is a retired USM Associate Professor interested in urban governance, housing and urban planning.
Mr Andrew KHOO is the Co-Deputy Chairperson of the Human Rights Committee, with interests running from parliamentary reform, electoral reform to Free Trade Agreements.
Mr Edward LEE is the state assemblyperson for Bukit Gasing and the President of Resident Association Section 5 Petaling Jaya.
Mr Ronnie LIU is the state assemblyman for Pandamaran, Selangor and the Selangor Government Exco member for Local Government, Study and Research Committee.
Mr Victor OORJITHAM is the Chairman of Maxwell Towers Resident Association (local joint action committee) and former local councilor for Petaling Jaya.
Mr Sivarasa RASIAH is the member of Parliament for Subang and the Vice President of Parti Keadilan Rakyat.

Melaka, 26 July 2008