COMMENT | The Pakatan Harapan manifesto before the 15th general election in 2022 made a powerful declaration: “Indeed, city councils like DBKL (Kuala Lumpur City Hall) are now seemingly run like private, for-profit companies that prioritise developers’ interests without considering residents’ welfare and interests.”

It promised to “empower democracy and transparency in DBKL systematically” to ensure representation for the people, not developers.

“This effort will ensure that all Malaysians can elect reliable, inclusive representation that represents the interests of the people, not the developers.”

This pledge now serves as a stark reminder of the shortcomings and ongoing challenges that have escalated in the administration of DBKL.

In May, I wrote a series of articles exposing how...