{
  "id": 6601452,
  "title": "Jangan buat andaian Melayu bantah pilihan raya PBT, kata Nik Nazmi",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/10/jangan-buat-andaian-melayu-bantah-pilihan-raya-pbt-kata-nik-nazmi",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-10T14:35:48.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/bahasa/tempatan/2026/09/10/jangan-buat-andaian-melayu-bantah-pilihan-raya-pbt-kata-nik-nazmi"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Former Deputy Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad cautioned against presuming Malay voters would reject local authority (PBT) elections, pointing out that recent demographic surveys show the opposite. Speaking at a forum about the upcoming PBT election, Nik Nazmi reported that a survey revealed the majority of Malay voters in Kuala Lumpur support the PBT system, regardless of the form it takes. The deputy minister echoed the findings of the Merdeka Center, which found a majority of Malays nationwide support choosing a Kuala Lumpur city mayor. This indicates that public perception does not accurately reflect the reality, he said. Concern that the PBT election could marginalize Malay voters stems from historical concerns dating back to colonial and post-independence periods, when Malays faced economic weaknesses and demographic uncertainties. Such concerns may trace back to the colonial era and the demographic challenges of the late 20th century, when Malays comprised the largest group in the nation, constituting 48%. The demographic landscape in Kuala Lumpur has changed over the past few decades, with Malays now forming the largest ethnic group. If we consider voter turnout, they may make up a larger percentage than the Chinese community, meaning the majority of voters in Kuala Lumpur could be Malay in the next 5 to 10 years. Some right-wing politicians still carry historical concerns formed during previous political and demographic eras. Nik Nazmi stressed that concerns about Malay representation in Kuala Lumpur should be addressed through the design of the electoral system, rather than used as a reason to reject the PBT system. He suggested exploring alternative representation models, such as quotas or party lists, to address concerns about demographic and gender representation. The PBT election was previously held before being suspended in 1965 and successfully abolished a year later. A royal commission appointed in 1965 recommended bringing the PBT election back, but the federal government chose not to, and the Local Government Act 1976 effectively abolished it. The commission urged reinstating the PBT election; however, the federal government decided against it and amended the Local Government Act 1976, which effectively banned local authority elections. In 2008, the Selangor and Penang state governments attempted to revive the PBT election to fulfill election promises, but failed. In February 2024, Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming stated that the PBT election is not a priority for his ministry, as it focuses on other areas, such as road safety and cleanliness of public parks and streets.",
  "summary": "Bekas menteri berkata tinjauan mendapati majoriti pengundi Melayu di Kuala Lumpur menyokong pilihan raya PBT dalam apa jua bentuk.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Zahid guna isu kontraktor perkukuh sokongan Melayu, kata penganalisis",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/05/zahid-guna-isu-kontraktor-perkukuh-sokongan-melayu-kata-penganalisis",
        "published": "2026-09-05T23:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}