Umno veterans say 'no' to calls to reintroduce local elections in KL

PETALING JAYA: There is no need to re-introduce the local elections in the capital city as there is enough governance in the existing structure, says Datuk Mustapha Yaakub.

The Umno Veterans Association secretary said currently there were MPs, who were all elected during the elections, to represent the respective constituencies in Kuala Lumpur.

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"We have MPs elected to represent all communities and to assist the mayor. Why do we need local elections again?" Mustapha said in a statement on Sunday (Dec 17).

Earlier, DAP had called for the government to reinstate the local elections in the capital city.

This came after the recent cabinet reshuffle that saw the appointment of a minister in charge of Federal Territories.

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Kuala Lumpur DAP chairman Tan Kok Wai said the reinstatement acts as an effort to strengthen democracy in the Federal Territories (FT).

Tan said that the party's consistent push to abolish the FT Ministry was to prevent political interference within the administration of the nation's capital.

Mustapha added that DAP had mooted the suggestion in hopes that its representatives would be elected.

He said if local elections were held, its representatives could easily win in Chinese-majority areas.

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"If these elections are allowed in Kuala Lumpur, there will be demand for local council elections in Penang, Ipoh, Klang, Melaka, Johor Bahru and others," noted Mustapha.

"It seems that DAP is still influenced by its old idealism and ethnocentric pressures. This is evident in statements such as those made by DAP veteran Tan Sri Lim Kit Siang regarding the prime minister’s post," he said.

Lim was previously accused of saying that the Federal Constitution provides that a non-Malay can become prime minister.