The Selangor government, which is drafting a Local Government Election Bill, expects to table this in the state legislature next year.

NONE Senior exco member Teng Chang Khim ( left ), who revealed this in the state assembly today, said local elections would be conducted in one or two municipalities first, once the Bill is passed.

The other municipalities would be covered in stages, he told R Rajiv (DAP-Bukit Gasing).

“The local government election is different from the general election. The proposed law will not contradict with the federal constitution and the Local Government Act 1976,” Teng said.

“The mechanism will be studied when the draft of the Bill is finalised.”

The local election will be conducted with the cooperation of the Election Commission.

Giving people back their democratic rights

Teng, who is also Sungai Pinang assemblyperson, said the move to hold local elections was in line with the promises made to the people by Pakatan Rakyat.

Replying to a supplementary question from Shamsuddin Lias (BN-Sungai Burong), Teng said local elections were being re-introduced to give back the people their democratic rights as these were held in 1955, before Malaysia achieved independence.

Speaking to reporters later, Shamsuddin, the new opposition chief in the Selangor state assembly, asked up to what level was the Selangor government willing to give power back to the people.

“Do we elect the next mayor or the head of the local council. Or, will there later also be a Selangor Election Commission,” he asked.