CGG: Appointment of Local Councillors in Selangor A Virtual Sham

PET+NEWSFLASH! 

DATELINE: PETALING JAYA, SELANGOR: 

A PRESS CONFERENCE is being held within the half hour by several influential non governmental organisations expressing their dissatisfaction and deep concern over the way in which Pakatan Rakyat has been conducting their selection of local councillors in the state of Selangor.

This follows a meeting earlier today with Dato Teng Chang Khim, head of local councils in Selangor and nearly a dozen NGOs representing the Coalition for Good Governance at 12noon.


Representatives of CGG included NGOs like Suaram, Empower, Komas. This afternoon they will be joined by disability groups that include the Adult Blind Association of Selangor to demand better treatment for councillor appointments. 

CGG is a group comprising residents' associations and NGOs that are campaigning for transparency, accountability, local democracy and local council elections.

Here is CGG's press statement in full:

PRESS RELEASE 13

th

Jan 2014

LOCAL COUNCILLORS APPOINTMENT

DEPRIVATION OF CITIZENS RIGHT

The

COALITION OF GOOD GOVERNANCE (CGG)

, registers its concern:

1.

On the manner the appointment of local councilors has been handled by the

State Government of Selangor.

2.

Nomination for the NGO Quota of 25% (6 NGO councilors in every council).

3.

On the lack of communication and details of the action plan towards Local

Council Election 2014 which was announced by EXCO for Local Government,

YB Dato Teng Chang Kim on (01/07/2013 – Sun Newspaper)

Appointment of Local Councilors

The appointment system adopted by the State government lacks transparency,

accountability, inclusiveness and democracy.

Transparency-There is no clear selection criteria that are publicly available as to how

councilors are appointed. The nomination by political parties with their allocated party

quota have compromised the meritocracy criteria resulting in underperforming

councilors and in some cases councilors who cannot work with their ADUNs because

of political differences.

Accountability – Performance of Local Councilors appointed are NOT accountable to

the public but to their political masters. No performance reports are made available to

the public. In instances, where complaints were made of councilors actually working

against the community, no action has been taken.

Inclusiveness – There is a lack of representation for the voiceless communities in the

council – the poor, disabled, elderly, single mothers etc. For example, there were only

2 disabled councilors (in 2008 there were 5) represented in the 12 Selangor councils.

CGG is of the opinion that the interests of these voiceless communities are best

represented by members of these communities or NGOs working in these

communities.

Democracy – The annual “horse trading” exercise between political parties have

resulted in repeated delays to the annual appointment of councilors. As from the 1st of

January 2014, the citizens of the state have been deprived of their democratic right to

representation in local governments.

The delay in the appointment has serious implications in the running of both levels of

government; the state and local government.

Without local councilors, tax-paying

citizens are deprived of their basic right to a

Functioning

Local Government

.

The delay sends a bad message to all civil servants serving the local councils: tenders andcontracts do not get approved, budgets are not spent, Development-orders are delayed. Citizens pay the ultimate price for the deprivation WITHOUT any democratic channel to air their grievances.

NGO 25% quota for councilors

In the absence of local council elections CGG accepts the proposal, as practiced in

the last term that 25% of the local councilors are to come from NGOs and

professionals. The NGO councilor’s component offers an independent perspective

that acts as a check and balance that is free from political party leadership structures

To avoid abuse of the NGO quota, we will need to ensure that:

1.

No pseudo-NGO nominees and appointees without verifiable track record in

main stream NGO circles are nominated.

2.

The criteria and mechanism for selection is transparent and is available

PUBLICLY.

The CGG also opines that, another structural reform that needs strengthening is the

Majlis Perwakilan Penduduk (MPP) or Resident Representative Council for every

zone in the Local Government. 

Again the appointees in MPP shall not be a top down appointee but instead representations be drawn from functioning Resident Associations (RA’s) and NGO’s in the Zone. To be effective and sustainable The MPP

shall be chaired by the ADUN with the councilor as the deputy Chair. The CGG take

the view that such a system will further strengthen the Principle of Participatory

Democracy where citizens are empowered and have a systematic access to their

representatives.

LOCAL COUNCIL ELECTION 2014

Pakatan Rakyat came into power on the wave of general public discontent of the lack

of democratic voice for the public.

The current limbo is a far cry from the promise by the Pakatan Rakyat in the Election

Manifesto of 2008 that the NEW STATE GOVERNMENT shall put in place a system

for local council election. 

As a matter of fact prior to May 2013 election, CGG, on being commissioned by the state government, submitted a comprehensive study to the state for THE IMPLEMENTATION OF LOCAL COUNCIL ELECTION in Selangor.

The study concluded that the state could adopt an election system that is “doable”,

within the framework of the existing power of the State Government without the

involvement of the Federal Government and SPRM without contravening any Acts of

the Federation. The current situation Selangor is therefore a regression of the

promises which may jeopardize the trust and mandate given.

CGG DEMANDS that a roadmap towards achieving the 2008 manifesto regarding

local council election, be established and presented to the citizens of Selangor. The

Road Map shall include among others target dates, key milestones, key deliverables,

criteria, mechanisms, The CGC also demands a transparent system of appointment of

Majlis Perwakilan Penduduk to be drawn from functioning RA’s and NGO’s be

established and institutionalized, as an essential component of the Structure for

Participatory Democracy.

THE COALITION OF GOOD GOVERNANCE (CGG)

SELANGOR

(Note, we apologise for the poor format display of the press release)

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