Parti Bumi Kenyalang calls for local council elections in Sarawak to be reinstated because there is no reason why local councils elections should not be held when parliament and Dewan Undangan Negri elections could be held after emergency been lifted.

Local council elections are important because it is the third arm of the government.

Federal and local council elections were suspended under the nation emergency laws in 1969 - purportedly due to the racial riots in Malaya although there was no riot or disturbances in Sarawak and Sabah at that time.

When elections resumed in 1970, local council elections had not been reinstated, even after the formal revocation of emergency in 2011. Although emergency had been lifted but
mayors and councillors of local councils had remained unelected. Presently their appointments are by the Yang Di-pertua Negri on the advice of the state government (LinkedIn lawnet.sarawak.gov.my)

Being appointed, they do not represent the local population's interest or voice and it is hard to deny that they are not representing the interest of the political parties in the GPS coalition.

This therefore, is devoid of democracy and thus their appointments should be illegal and unconstitutional.

Their exercise of power or performance of duties as Mayors and local councillors without electoral mandate could be illegal and beyond their devolved powers (ultra vires).

The collection and spending of tax payers money by local council as directed by mayors and local councillors could therefore be illegal.

Their exercise of power is against the principle of local self-government.

At the moment, without any opposition members sitting in local council meetings, there is no watchdog in local council to monitor
expenditures by local councils.

Expenditures such as for roads, drainage, city and town beautification are huge and watchdogs are needed to prevent abuse to expenditure and award of works that could be linked to the GPS political parties.

VOON LEE SHAN
President
Parti Bumi Kenyalang

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