Datuk Mustapha Yaakub stated that there is no necessity to reintroduce local elections in the capital city, as the current governance structure is sufficient. He also pointed out that there are already elected Members of Parliament representing the respective constituencies in Kuala Lumpur. He elaborated that council members have been appointed to represent all communities and to assist the mayor, rendering the need for local elections redundant. He made this statement on Dec 17th.
Following a recent cabinet reshuffle that resulted in the appointment of a minister in charge of Federal Territories, DAP called for the restoration of local elections in the capital city. Kuala Lumpur DAP chairman, Tan Kok Wai, asserted that the reinstatement would strengthen democracy in the Federal Territories (FT). He explained that the party’s consistent push to abolish the FT Ministry aimed at preventing political interference in the administration of the nation’s capital.
Mustapha remarked that DAP had proposed the idea with the expectation that its representatives would be elected. He further added that, if local elections were to be conducted, its representatives would have an advantage in Chinese-majority areas. He also expressed concerns that allowing these elections in Kuala Lumpur could result in demands for local council elections in other cities such as Penang, Ipoh, Klang, Melaka, and Johor Bahru.
Mustapha also criticized DAP, claiming that the party is influenced by its old idealism and ethnocentric pressures, evident in statements made by DAP veteran Tan Sri Lim Kit Siang about the prime minister’s post. Lim was previously accused of stating that the Federal Constitution allows for a non-Malay to become prime minister.
