TALK has been rife recently of a “third force” in Malaysian politics. Civil society groups have proposed their own candidates for the 13th general election. Datuk Zaid Ibrahim wants to form a new political party. But is there room in Malaysian politics for a third force? What would it look like? And why is the […]
local elections
Third vote conundrum
By Deborah LohTHE Penang government has started removing hurdles in the way of restoring local council elections, and its next stop could be the Federal Court. Lawyers consulted by the state assert that local polls are possible because: • The federal law which governs the polls was never abolished. This law is the Local Government Elections Act […]
Local council elections possible
By Suaram PenangSUARAM Penang is disappointed with the Election Commission (EC)’s decision regarding local elections. We urge the Barisan Nasional (BN) government to amend the law to allow nationwide local government elections as soon as possible. Local elections are a cornerstone of democracy and good governance, and the BN would be showing its commitment to this by […]
Pakatan Rakyat vs local elections
By Wong Chin HuatIT is funny to hear my friends in the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) complaining that civil society is pressuring only the opposition coalition to revive local elections and not the Barisan Nasional (BN). It becomes more hilarious now that the PR has reportedly reduced its commitment to merely “strengthening local democracy.” One unnamed leader defends it […]
Politicians and local councils
By Zedeck SiewTHE spat between Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and DAP over the appointment of Majlis Perbandaran Seberang Perai (MPSP) president Mokhtar Mohd Jait began with a boycott, by PKR councillors, of Mokhtar’s swearing in. This then led to DAP leaders calling for the resignation of Johari Kassim, the PKR whip in MPSP which led the boycott. […]
