Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s statement today that it was unnecessary to hold local government elections has brought a howl of protest from inside and outside the BN coalition.

In an immediate reaction, Kedah Gerakan Youth chief Tan Keng Liang said while he understands the premier’s concern that such elections would lead to too much ‘politicking’, the “advantages of local government elections outweigh its rejection”.

Tan also urged the federal government to assist the Pakatan states to hold the local government elections, including making amendments to the relevant laws to allow states that opt for local government elections to do so.

NONE Stating his reasons, Tan said such elections would serve as a necessary check-and-balance mechanism against the policies and conduct of local government administrators, who are mostly civil servants.

“It would also create democracy at local level and promote transparency in the administration of local councils,” Tan said in a statement.

In addition, Tan said, the performance of local councillors can be assessed by the residents and they can be booted out if their performance was not satisfactory.

“Those candidates who do not perform and prefer to spend more time campaigning and ‘politicking’ would likely be rejected by the local people.”

NONE “I hope that our prime minister would reconsider to allow local government elections in Pakatan states. Let the people compare the administration of local councils in states which adopted such elections with those states without them,” Tan added.

On Saturday, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said his DAP-led government wanted to restore elections in the state’s two municipal councils and he had written a letter to the Election Commission urging the agency to organise them.

Tan subsequently challenged other Pakatan states to follow Penang in order to fulfill their election pledge to hold local government elections.

A day later, Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said that his government would follow Penang .

Umno ‘trapped in the past’

Meanwhile, PKR’s Seri Setia state assemblyperson Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said it was "too premature" for Najib to dismiss local council elections before the EC had decided on the issue.

"Obviously, Umno is trapped in the past," he quipped, when contacted today.

nik nazmi selangor pkr 100 days seratus hari pc 120608 01 Nazmi ( left ) stressed that the accountability and slashing of red tape as a result of the polls would help enhance local governance.

According to him, local council elections could be found in all "mature democracies" around the world.

He also noted that Malaysia had local elections before the Malaysia-Indonesia ‘Confrontation’ in 1964.

Concurring with Nazmi, DAP's Jawi state assemblyperson Tan Beng Huat said that local elections would ensure that those elected will perform well in their tasks.

He also urged the PM to be "more open minded" in addressing this issue, and reminded him that elected representatives are serving the people and not politicians.