Bersih 2.0 chairman Thomas Fann said the decision announced by Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad lacked discussion and debate on the merits of restoring the elections, which were last held in 1964 during the Malaysia-Indonesia Confrontation.
Fann said the move was “a step back” in the efforts to strengthen democracy in Malaysia.
“Local council elections are the bedrock of every democracy,” he said.
He said the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government should have encouraged discussion on local council elections, adding that concerns about racial conflict and urban-rural divide as expressed by Mahathir had no basis and were mere speculation.
Citing the 2010 census data, Fann said the Malay population of Kuala Lumpur was 49.5%, more than the Chinese who constitued 43.2 of city dwellers.
“It is also untrue that if local government elections are held, they will be dominated by non-Malays as the demography in urban areas have changed significantly since the 1960s.
“There is also no question as well that most of the local governments in the rural areas of the Peninsular would be represented by Malays in majority if elections are held,” he said.
Fann said choosing city representatives is the right of every taxpayer, adding that currently, many unqualified individuals occupied local councils, breeding inefficiency and corruption.
“This is a legacy left behind by the previous government and the new PH government should seize the opportunity to break free from such a corrupt culture,” he said.
Fann urged Mahathir to keep an open mind about local elections, saying mayors and councillors should be held accountable.
Mahathir had said that there were no plans to bring back local council elections, citing concerns of racial conflicts.
He said differences between urban and rural demographics could bring about the “wrong results” should elections be held.
In July, Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin had said that her ministry intended to hold local government elections in three years’ time.
She said such elections could only be done after the nation’s finances and economy stabilise.
But Fann dismissed Mahathir’s concerns, saying the prime minister should refer to an updated account of the urban demographics in Malaysia.