Revamp for local govts

The Star 30/11/2005

THE Government plans to revamp the entire local government structure to improve its performance, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting said.

Among the aspects that may be changed is the number of councillors for each local authority.

“We are also looking at allowing non-governmental organisations and professionals to be involved in local government,” he said.

Ong said this would be a massive overhaul as it would not only involve the amendment of the Local Government Act 1976 but also other legislation, including the Federal
Constitution.

The last time local governments underwent a major revamp was about 30 years ago, which brought about the 1976 Act, he said in response to various complaints from MPs about the shortcomings of local authorities during his winding-up of the Budget 2006 debate at committee stage.

Another proposal was to allow local government personnel to be transferred to different authorities within a state.

Ong said a suggestion to place local government service under state governments was also being studied.

He said Universiti Malaya had conducted a study on this matter and had made public several proposals.

“However, the study has not been officially forwarded to the ministry,” he added.

Ong said the ministry was working with the Attorney-General’s Chambers, the Modernisation of Administration Unit of the Prime Minister’s Department, National Institute of Public Administration and the Chief Secretary to the Government on the revamp.

The ministry, Ong said, would prepare a Cabinet paper on the new structure but did not say when it would be completed.

He said there were already 64 steps to improve the local government structure which were identified together with various government agencies.

On the corporatisation of local authorities which was reported as one of the proposals by the Universiti Malaya study, Ong said this was just one of the suggestions on how local authorities could be revamped.

When several opposition MPs suggested that elections should be introduced at local government level, Ong said this move would not solve the problems faced by local authorities.