Give FT minister time, says Fahmi on call for local polls in KL

Communications minister Fahmi Fadzil said the federal government would ‘view the entire matter together’. (Bernama pic)

KUALA LUMPUR: Unity government spokesman Fahmi Fadzil has called for patience in light of Kuala Lumpur DAP’s recent call for local council elections in the capital city.

Fahmi had spoken to federal territories minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa on the matter this morning but said she should be given more time to consider the proposal since she had just been appointed to the post.

“This is a major policy decision that is not to be taken lightly and I believe that we have an internal process, so we need to assess and view the entire matter together,” he told reporters after launching an event here.

The communications minister also said the buildings commissioner had notified him that, in 2018, 95% of some 6,000 strata properties throughout KL did not conduct their annual general meetings.

“95% and 97% failed to submit their audited financial accounts for 2018. This is a very serious issue that we face and this is not only to do with local government elections but hyper-local elections,” he said.

KL DAP chairman Tan Kok Wai had urged the federal government to start local elections in the city centre first to bolster its democracy.

The Cheras MP said reintroducing local elections in the city would provide sustainability and give the residents the right to select their city council representatives.

Local elections in Malaysia were suspended in the 1960s and later replaced by a system of appointed heads, where state mayors of city councils and presidents of municipal and district councils are appointed by the state governments.

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