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Call on the Federal Government to Restore Local Government Election   Media Statement - at the Ministry of Housing and Local Government by Ean Yong Hian Wah (Kuala Lumpur, Monday):  Together with Selangor DAP leaders, vice-chairmen Ong Ing Siong and Tee Boon Hock, organizing secretary John Chung and state committee members Peter Tan, T. Kannan and S. Ramakrishnan, I have presented a memorandum to the Ministry of Housing and Local Government calling for the restoration of local government election and the eradication of corruption and abuse of power.  The recent incidents such as the former Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) enforcement chief Abdul Kudus Ahmad falsely declaring his financial status, the decision of the Kajang Municipal Council (MPKJ) to ban the sale of pork in open air markets, the indiscriminate harassment of young couples for hand-holding by the Ipoh City Hall have highlighted the bane of the appointment system of local government. We believe these are only the tip of the iceberg.  Ever since March 1, 1965, the government suspended local government election on the ground of the Indonesian Confrontation. The government promised that the election would resume after peace and order were restored. To date, 38 years later, local government election has not been restored.  The abolishment of the elected local government system results in the people having to put up with the inefficiency, corruption and lack of transparency and accountability of local councils. Furthermore, appointed local councilors are not duty-bound to be answerable to the people as they have no fear of being rejected at the polls.       What is the accountability and legitimacy of representation of local councilors if they come in from the “backdoor”? In fact, this appointment system has become the arena of the power struggle between the BN component parties. Local government election represents the grassroots democracy of a nation. The government has denied the rights of the people to elect their local representatives to run their local affairs. As we see today, local authorities are not beholden to the people and are prone to make decisions without consultation with the people. It is important that municipal councilors be elected in local election to ensure that councils carry out their duties diligently. Only those elected would be spurred to perform better.  The Selangor DAP condemns the Barisan Nasional government for breaking their promise to resume local government election. We urge the government to restore local government elections in the coming election and uphold the basic rights of Malaysians to participatory democracy at the grassroots level. (16/6/2003) *  Ean Yong Hian Wah,  Selangor DAP state secretary