KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 20): When it comes to the issue of reinstatement of local elections in the capital city, our Malaysian politics is sandwiched between two consistencies.

DAP — especially Tan Kok Wai — has been consistent in calling the government to reinstate local elections in the capital city.

Umno is equally consistent but rather in a negative way. The party has been consistent as well in rejecting any idea of calling back the local government elections in the capital city.

PAS? For the time being, let us assume the party also rejects any attempt to the local elections in the capital city. Yes, in the past, the PAS president used to voice out his rejection as well.

Is having local government elections really a bad idea? Are Malaysian people — particularly in the capital city — not really fond of having local government elections?

In 2010, Merdeka Centre conducted a study and based on the survey, it was found that 71 of respondents were in favour for local government elections to be reinstated.

Based on such an evidence-based finding, Merdeka Centre made the following remarks "The survey has simultaneously proved that even though the local election was abolished, it is still relevant to be reinstated according to public choice"

Am I making this up? Anyway, one may read such findings in an academic writing entitled "Reviving the Local Government Election in Malaysia?" published in the Global Journal of Business and Social Science Review (Hairani, “Reviving the Local Government Election in Malaysia?”)

An Umno leader told the media that his party would never allow this — local government elections — to happen. Why? Apparently no reason was given, at least not in the media.

The PAS Federal Territory chairman — Azhar Yahya — vehemently rejected the proposal made by Tan Kok Wai. He claimed that by having such an election, the local government would be disproportionately dominated by the Chinese community due to the fact there is currently racial imbalance in the Federal Territory.

How about Kelantan, Trengganu, Perlis and Kedah? Chinese imbalance too?

With due respect, PAS should be very slow in playing the race card here. PAS candidates used to be supported by Chinese voters in the past. It shows that even the non-Malays have no qualms in electing Muslim-Malay candidates.

And how about London? According to the 2021 Census, the largest religious groupings are Christians (40.66%), followed by those of no religion (27.05%), Muslims (14.99%), no response (7%), Hindus (5.15%), Jews (1.65%), Sikhs (1.64%), Buddhists (1.0%) and others (0.9%), yet the position of mayor is currently held by Sadiq Khan — a Muslim, and he is reportedly a regular mosque-goer. He is also reported to have regularly attended Al-Muzzammil Mosque in Tooting.

Sadiq Khan was elected in 2021 via a London mayoral election held on 6 May 2021.

Local government elections are premised on the need to have leaders who are directly chosen by the people. At present, these leaders in the local government are appointed, not elected.

Some of them have been frequently appointed though they are either under-performers or not even qualified to hold public office in the first place. Unfortunately, under the present system, there has been no transparency, let alone accountability. And some of them don’t even have integrity.

Good governance is extremely minimal or almost zero. And why should they care? In the absence of any local government election, all these “deadwood” will never be subject to periodic scrutiny via an election. Their positions seem to be firmly guaranteed so long they know to whom they should be beholden to. Nepotism and cronyism at work!

Any party has a right to accept or reject a proposal of on reinstating local government elections, but let such acceptance or rejection be evidence-based and not sentiment-based.

Mohamed Hanipa Maidin is a former MP for Sepang.