In a creative initiative to push for the restoration of local council elections, Penang civil society groups under the Penang Forum held a public election to select their nominees to serve in the MPPP and MPSP for 2011. Tan Seng Hai reports on the historic poll.
The enthusiastic and smooth response to the balloting impressed visiting researcher Aya Fabros, who compared it with polls in her home country, the Philippines. We should think up more such creative means of engagement rather than count the reasons for resignation, she writes. In doing so, we can subvert the sources of our scepticism about elections and democracy.
Addressing the gathered candidates and voters, Lim Kah Cheng outlined the structure of local councils and the role of councillors. She stressed that people need to lobby for all important decisions and minutes of council meetings to be published on council websites while the meetings proper should be open to the public in a more meaningful way.
Another eye-opener was the Seksualti Merdeka 2010 fest at the Central Market in KL, which Julian Lee and Yeoh Seng Guan attended. Civil society groups have much to do to nurture a better understanding of gender diversities in the country, the two of them reflected.
Finally, Sarajun Hoda Abdul Hassan warns us to pay close attention to the European Union’s attempt to stitch up Free Trade Agreements with developing nations. The fact that the Malaysian government appears to be taking things so lightly is alarming, he concludes.
AGENDA RAKYAT - Lima perkara utama
- Tegakkan maruah serta kualiti kehidupan rakyat
- Galakkan pembangunan saksama, lestari serta tangani krisis alam sekitar
- Raikan kerencaman dan keterangkuman
- Selamatkan demokrasi dan angkatkan keluhuran undang-undang
- Lawan rasuah dan kronisme
Aya Fabros should read the below before praising this farce : Analysis/Details on Penang State’s Local Council Election Fraud (circa November 2010) Pakatan, the Rakyat may still vote for you, but that doesn’t mean your 8% turnup elections is acceptable to most of us with a sense of fairplay. This is a sham election! 8% members?!? How does this count as democratic? *WAIT* for the other 92% or try to look them up with form in hand to ask them to vote! Don’t be lazy or undemocratic. This sort of kelam kabut (slipshod) attitude makes Malaysia into a joke. I propose the entire election be carried out in a proper manner at once. This is a farce! … murder of democracy! How should this PKR Election/Penang EXCO Local Council Election have been done? 1) Put out adverts (as they did) asking PKR members/Penang residents to nominate or apply for candidacy. This nomination form will be sent to ALL members to fill in. 2) The top 20 will candidates who pass vetting will be put on a form. Send this form with that list of candidates to… Read more »
Pakatan parties (DAP, PKR, PAS) and their politicians were NOT involved in planning, organising and overseeing the running of these polls.
That Chow Kon Yeow character (Gambier Threat, Buah Pala, Kampung Genting, Sunset Bistro, Saber Holidays Mart) oversaw the elections PERSONALLY, what do you mean NOT involved?
Though he was present in the crowd, his only role was to participate in the press conference after the results were announced. He was there to respond, in his capacity as state government rep, to the Penang Forum steering committee’s request for the winners to be considered for appointments to the councils.
In the event, only two of the 10 winners were eventually appointed, one each for MPPP and MPSP.
Don’t be such a Pakatan apologist, it’s as bad and in the same nature as lapdoggery. Those 2 are NOT the people’s choice by the quorum failure. In fact no appointed EXCOS should be allowed at all.
How could Aliran be so ambivalent and how could you have such weak principles? Aliran is a NGO not a mouthpiece. Someone should det up another Human Rights NGO and UN itself (already compromised in more than 1 way) evidently also has chosen to be complicit in tacit approvals and apologism here.
No conscience? No sense of responsibility? So how does Aliran serve the people?