Sampai bila P Pinang kena tunggu pilihan raya tempatan, soal Adun

Pulau Pinang's Bukit Tengah MP Gooi Hsiao Leung has raised questions about when the state will resume the election of local authority chairpersons (PBT) following Putrajaya's failure to formally acknowledge the polls. The state government has informed Gooi that the government remains committed to restarting PBT, but has not proposed alternative legislation or a timeline for holding local council elections in a pilot project format.

Gooi acknowledges existing legal barriers but emphasizes the need for cooperation with the federal government. He questions how much longer the nation can wait, given that more than half a century has passed. The state government should renew its commitment by proposing the basic memorandum to the federal government, outlining the legal framework for PBT.

Despite Putrajaya's failure to officially reintroduce PBT, Gooi shares his experience with a Stuttgart, Germany municipal official who was surprised to learn that all 179 municipalities in Germany elect their chairpersons through local elections. In 1965, a royal recommendation was established to revive PBT, but the federal government decided against it and adopted the Local Government Act 1976, effectively suspending the possibility of local elections.

The act grants state governments the authority to appoint district officers, chiefs, and council members, rather than electing them through public polls. In 2008, under Pakatan Harapan (PH) leadership, Pulau Pinang and Selangor attempted to revive PBT to fulfill their electoral promises, but failed. In February 2024, Home Affairs and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming stated that PBT is not a priority, as the ministry is focusing on other matters, such as highway safety, cleanliness of public parks, and wetlands.