So sorry everyone. My report yesterday said that the local councillors - at least in Petaling Jaya - would be announced yesterday. Apparently the media who gathered at the event were disappointed that this was not so.
However late yesterday evening both The Star and the Malay Mail rang me up to ask if I was one of the disabled persons who was appointed as a councillor.
It has been reported in some newspapers that as many as five disabled Malaysians would be appointed as disabled councillors by the Selangor Government. If and when such a thing is fulfilled, it will be disabled history for the first time since Malaysia since Merdeka in 1957.
I told the media that I had not received any news from the Majlis Perbandaran Petaling Jaya about the news to date.
They went on to ask me whether I would accept the position if I was selected. I, of course, said "yes", adding that being part of decision-making bodies is what the disabled all over the world want. Especially when it involves matters that affect our lives.
Please check both the dailies later this morning to see if my interview with them will be featured.
In the meantime, please scroll Malaysiakini's report on what happened at that event this morning.
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PETPOSITIVE
Malaysiakini: S'gor local councillors list finally ready.
The Selangor state government has finally completed the task of appointing 288 local councillors for all 12 local councils in the state, the majority of whom are new faces.
However the public would have to wait a little longer to find out the identities of those appointed by Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim.
selangor announcement of local counciller list 190608 02" title="selangor announcement of local counciller list 190608 02" align="right" height="223" width="280">Khalid revealed in a press conference today that the list of councillors was ready but passed the buck to the respective councils to reveal the names of people appointed to sit in the councils.
He said that the names of the chosen individuals will only be disclosed by the respective local authorities once they are done with assessing the list.
Khalid had said yesterday that he would be revealing the names today. The Selangor councillors' list has been a long-drawn affair, purportedly due to behind-the-scene moves by various parties on the composition and make-up of the councillors.
And the final list as revealed by Khalid today showed that 25 percent of those named are made up of NGOs, professionals, activists and academics.
selangor local councils 190608" title="selangor local councils 190608" align="left" height="525" width="186">The remaining 75 percent are members of parties from the Pakatan Rakyat with PKR dominating the composition. Neither Khalid nor state exco member Ronnie Liu revealed the exact numbers granted to each parties.
Khalid said that some of those in the list came from the disabled community. The list also included 49 women councillors while about 87 percent of them possessed at least a diploma.
"The councillors will all undergo a one-year probation period and if they prove that they are good with what they do, we will extend their contract to three years," said Khalid.
Khalid also said that there were many talented applicants who had vied for the council posts - numbering slightly more than 1,000 people.
He added that it would be a waste not to give them the opportunity if those chosen are found to be performing below expectations.
Khalid also explained that Selangor will be divided into zones and that some of the councillors will lead each of their respective zones whereas some will lead numerous zones.
Councillors will be given a salary of between RM500 and RM1,000 and a meeting allowance of RM100 per meeting.
Khalid has retained city mayors, municipal council presidents and district chiefs.
No MPs or Adun named
Khalid also said that unlike under the Barisan Nasional administration, the present list of councillors had no members of parliament or state assemblypersons.
The rationale for doing so, he explained, was to allow residents and ratepayers the ability to participate in a matter that would affect them the most.
When asked if the list contained any BN members, Khalid said that none were as they would not be allowed to accept any position in the Pakatan government by their party leadership.
selangor announcement of local counciller list 190608 01" title="selangor announcement of local counciller list 190608 01" align="left" height="210" width="260">The race-based quota for selecting local councillors has also been rid off, Liu added.
The BN-led Selangor state government had in the past practiced the race quota system where representatives from each of the BN's race-based component parties would be allocated slots for representations based on the number of state seats controlled by that particular party.
Liu, a DAP leader, however said that the Pakatan government want the tradition to be eliminated.
"We cannot function like that anymore. We have to understand that Indian people can also serve the Chinese community and vice versa," he stressed.
The issue of implementing local council elections, one of the key features of Pakatan's elections promises, was also raised by reporters.
Both Khalid and Liu said that the Pakatan Selangor government was currently working towards studying the possibility of re-implementing it.
"We know that local representation is important and we are working on it," added Khalid.
