PBK: Sarawak must restore local gov’t elections to ensure councils serve people, not politics

Voon Lee Shan

By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, June 4: Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) has urged the Sarawak government and the Sarawak Legislative Assembly to urgently initiate legislative and administrative reforms to reinstate local government elections, saying the current system of appointed councils undermines democratic accountability and public trust.

PBK president Voon Lee Shan said the suspension of municipal elections in Malaysia, including Sarawak, dates back to the 1960s, when local councillors began being appointed rather than elected.

“Over subsequent decades, the practice became entrenched, with local councils filled by political appointment rather than popular vote. The suspension was initially justified on grounds of administrative stability and control, and later sustained on arguments of efficiency, cost, and political cohesion. Those are policy choices, not permanent truths.

“The suspension of municipal elections does not represent a democratic endpoint. It is a policy decision that can, should, and must be reversed,” he said in a statement today.

Voon argued that Sarawak suffers when local councils are more responsive to political patrons than to residents and ratepayers who depend on municipal services.

He said the current appointment system weakens oversight, reduces accountability to the public, and in some cases has contributed to inefficiencies in service delivery and reduced transparency in local governance.

“When councillors are selected through partisan processes, council chambers become extensions of ruling-party machines rather than forums for local problem-solving,” he said, adding that this environment risks complacency, mismanagement, and misuse of public funds.

PBK said it is calling for the full restoration of the “right to vote at the local level”, stressing that democratic participation is essential to improving governance outcomes.

Voon emphasised that elected local authorities would strengthen accountability, reduce wastage, and improve public confidence in municipal administration.
The party also rejected concerns that local elections would destabilise governance, arguing instead that “democracy is not the cause of instability — the suppression of citizen voice is. True stability rests on legitimate authority, which is earned when leaders are accountable to voters.”

He further said that cost considerations should not be used as a justification for maintaining the current system, claiming that properly accountable councils would ultimately deliver better value for public funds.

PBK is urging the Sarawak government and the State legislature to establish a clear roadmap for the return of local government elections, including legal amendments, institutional safeguards against patronage, and capacity-building measures to ensure councils are prepared to manage electoral processes effectively.

It also called for reforms in procurement, budgeting, and conflict-of-interest rules to safeguard the independence and integrity of local authorities once elections are restored.

Voon said the proposal is not partisan but a democratic necessity, and called on all political stakeholders, including the government, opposition, and civil society, to support the move.

“Sarawak is more than capable of handling this reform. Our people deserve to choose those who make decisions about their neighbourhoods, markets, roads, sanitation and local development.

“The era of appointed, unaccountable local councils must end. The voters must decide,” he stressed. — DayakDaily