AMID the sex scandals and political shenanigans, something very locale and democratic happened recently in Paroi, a little village on the outskirts of Seremban with a population of fewer than 1,000. On July 7, residents went to their community hall to elect their village chief, or “ketua kampung”. At the end of that day, Paroi got its first-ever elected chief to represent residents’ concerns.
Restoring local elections is a protracted political affair. It has been more than 50 years since Malaysians last cast their votes for a local government. The inception of a new federal government coupled with the local government minister’s enthusiasm have once again injected hope into the movement to restore local elections. Nevertheless, the prime minister’s scepticism on the matter is still apparent, while the deliberate wording “strengthening local democracy” in the Pakatan Harapan manifesto is a cause for concern – and perhaps, hints that there is resistance to local elections within the ruling coalition.
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