THE government will not be introducing local council elections as they may lead to race-related conflicts in the country, said Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad today.

“Local council elections may produce the wrong results.

“The urban may be different, the rural may be different. There will be conflicts emphasised by racial differences and the like.

“So we don’t want that to happen,” he said at the Empowering Local Councils Convention at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre.

Previously, Pakatan Harapan had suggested that local government elections may be introduced if it is in power although this was not stated in its election manifesto.

Just days after forming the government in May, Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin said Putrajaya would start holding elections for city mayors and local council presidents as soon as the economy is stable.

She added her ministry would study the matter in six months but estimated the elections could be held within three years.

She, however, cautioned that the need to hold local council elections should not be a financial burden to the federal government.

PH partner DAP has been a strong supporter of the third vote. Even yesterday, the 2018 Selangor DAP convention approved a resolution to urge the Selangor government to re-implement local council elections to widen democracy.

But Dr Mahathir reiterated today what he had said in April 2017 – that he was not keen on local council elections as it would polarise the different races in the country even further.

Local council elections were suspended in 1965 during the confrontation, with the assurance that they would be restored as soon as peace was declared. – December 10, 2018.