Local government elections – specifically the need to re-introduce it – has been a hotly debated topic for many years. Decades, even. The lack of local government elections, while seemingly benign, has far-reaching implications for democratic accountability, transparency and clarity in the political system. And if those words don’t mean anything to you, let me put it this way – local government elections, or the lack of them, has direct implications on people’s everyday issues like clogged drains, flooding, the walkability of your city, ridiculous development projects that you scream angrily about with your neighbour, and much more. So, what exactly is a local government election, why don’t we have it and what can we do to get it back? We explore this in this explainer. 

Interview clips taken from:

https://www.bfm.my/podcast/bigger-picture/live-and-learn/ketuanan-pengundi-6-why-we-need-local-government-elections

https://bfm.my/podcast/bigger-picture/beyond-the-ballot-box/does-kuala-lumpur-need-local-elections

https://bfm.my/podcast/evening-edition/evening-edition/local-council-elections-too-costly