In reaction to the DAP-led Penang government’s move to restore local council elections , Kedah Gerakan Youth called on the other Pakatan Rakyat state governments to follow suit to fulfill vows made during the 2008 general election campaign.

tan keng liang Failure to do so, said the party’s Kedah Youth chief Tan Keng Liang, would render clear the lack of agreement that Pakatan governments have on the issue of local council elections.  

“There is no reason why the pledge by Pakatan Rakyat in the last general election only need to be implemented in Penang,” said Tan in a statement.

“In the event that the other Pakatan Rakyat led states do not intend to submit their request to the Election Commission to conduct local government elections within their respective Pakatan Rakyat led states, then it is clear that Pakatan Rakyat do not have the same policy for each and every states under their administration,” he added.

If that is the case, Tan said further, Pakatan should prepare a separate manifesto for each state they intend to contest in the next general election and “spell it out clearly which state those pledges would be honoured”.

lim guan eng Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng today revealed he had written to the Election Commission and informed its commissioner Abdul Aziz Yusof that the state executive council had decided on holding elections for its Seberang Perai and Penang island local councils.

It has been over 40 years since the government outlawed local council elections through the Local Government Act 1976.

Local polls were suspended following the declaration of emergency on Sept 3, 1964, which remains in force.

The call to have local council elections reinstated have grown louder in recent years due to an increasing reports and complaints on alleged poor administration and weak financial management.