I am taken aback to read of the speech by the PAS President, Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang in London where he told a Malaysian audience that he opposed local government elections because local elections must be inclusive so that the cities are not dominated by just one race.

He said:

“When an election is contested only by residents (and does not include those who serve the residents), it is certain that big cities such as Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, Penang, Seremban, and Johor Bahru would be dominated by DAP Chinese…

“If only one race is in power, then a situation like in (May 13) 1969 may arise again, we don’t want that.”

I am taken aback because I had an exchange with Hadi on the very issue of local government elections three years ago, where I asked him why he was parroting the line that DAP was being chauvinist in wanting to have local government elections.

In my response to Hadi’s press conference in Batu Pahat where he was quoted as calling the DAP “chauvinist” for trying to restore local council elections, I expressed in Ipoh on 13th July 2015 my “amazement” at Hadi’s lack of “originality and creativity” over the issue.

I gave four reasons to debunk Hadi’s puerile and baseless allegation, viz:

Firstly, that it was a blatant lie to insinuate that DAP wanted to seek full control of the country through the restoration of the third vote, suggesting that it was a post-13GE grab for political power by the Chinese at the expense of the Malays on the ground that 60 per cent of the state assembly seats in the country were already under the DAP control.

Such lies were most preposterous and utter nonsense for three reasons:

(i) DAP did not control 60% of the state assembly seats in the 13GE, as all the three Pakatan Rakyat parties of DAP, PKR and PAS (until PR was killed at the PAS Muktamar on June 3, 2015) did not even win 50% of the total state assembly seats in the 13th General Election. The total number and percentage of state assembly seats won by the three PR parties in the 13GE were 229 seats or 45% of the total of 505 state assembly seats in the country.

(ii) The DAP had never been a party for the Chinese or any one race or religion, as right from our establishment in 1966, DAP had been committed to the goal of being a party for Malaysians of all races and religions. In fact, DAP was the first Pan-Malaysian political party in Malaysia, with branches in all the states in the country.

(iii) Restoration of local government had been the objective of DAP ever since its formation in 1966. I made at least two major speeches in Parliament on the restoration of local government during the three-year resumption of Parliament from 1971-1974 – my first term as an elected MP.

Secondly, it was utterly misleading and irresponsible to suggest that restoration of local council elections would benefit the Chinese at the expense of the Malays. This was ignoring the local government restructuring and the process of Malay urbanization in the past five decades, resulting in Malaysia having 148 local authorities, about 90% of which have Malay majorities of over 50% of the population, while only two per cent or three of the 148 local authorities have Chinese majorities, leaving a balance of 13 with plurality of races, seven of which are Chinese-dominant and six Malay-dominant.

Thirdly, support of local government elections did not make one a “communist” or “chauvinist” as local government elections were also held in Indonesia, Turkey and Iran. Was Hadi suggesting that Presidents Jokowi and Erdogan and former Iranian President Ahmadnejad or Indonesia, Turkey and Iran were “communist” or “chauvinist”?

Fourthly, the allegation DAP had unilaterally and arbitrarily sought the restoration of the third vote in violation of Pakatan Rakyat Common Policy Framework was baseless. In actual fact, the restoration of local government elections was in both the Pakatan Rakyat national manifesto and the Selangor PR state manifesto for the 13th General Elections.

I had said then that PAS and DAP had parted ways in Pakatan Rakyat because of the repeated violation of the Pakatan Rakyat Common Policy Framework and Hadi’s contempt for the PR consensus operational principle, wanting to exercise a veto power over decisions adopted unanimously by the PR Leadership although PAS was attended by the then PAS Deputy President, Mohamad Sabu.

There was no answer or response from Hadi for the simple reason that I was speaking facts and the truth, and Hadi could not counter any of my arguments.

This is why I am shocked that Hadi has gone to London to trot out the very same arguments which I had debunked three years ago.

In fact, the argument that the restoration of local council elections would benefit the Chinese at the expense of the Malays is even more untenable today.

As I had said three years ago, based on the 2010 Census, out of the 148 local authorities in Malaysia (comprising three City Halls, nine City Councils, 37 Municipal Councils and 99 District Councils), only two per cent or three of the local authorities have Chinese majorities, namely Sibu (Chinese 63.4% Malay/bumiputra 35.7% Indians 0.4% Others 0.5%); Kuching Selatan (Chinese 62.5% Malay/bumiputra 36.4% Indians 0.6% Others 0.5%) and Pulau Pinang (Chinese 56.4% Malays 33.7%; Indians 9.5% Others 0.4%).

Local authorities with Malay majorities of over 50% of the population number 132 or 89.2% of the 148 local authorities, with the balance of 13 having a plurality of races with seven Chinese dominant and six Malay dominant.

In the 2020 Census to be held in about a year’s time, there would be further changes in the racial composition of the demography of the local authorities in favour of the Malays, because of the higher birth rates among the Malays compared to the non-Malays.

The restoration of the 53-year suspension of local government elections is an important building block not only for democracy but also for plural nation-building in Malaysia.

It has nothing to do whatsoever with the 3Rs of race, religion or rulers, but is concerned with the 3Rs of “Rates, Roads and Rubbish” although the scope of local government responsibility has now expanded by leaps and bounds worldwide, such as including community services like libraries and parks, tourism, urban renewal, community health services, accessible transport and pollution control.

Elected local government is to empower citizens with the democratic right to participate in the third tier of democratic governance to take ownership of the decision-making process about their immediate environs – serving as a training ground for citizens in the direct experience of democratic governance at the grassroots level.

Will the Hadi PAS leadership stop looking at local government elections from the lens of toxic and vicious politics of lies, hatred, fear, race and religion and from the point of view of local government democracy?

Or are the thinking of the Had PAS leadership so fixed and frozen that they are immune to arguments, facts and truth as illustrated by PAS’ continued opposition to local government elections and support of former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s global kleptocracy?

Has the Hadi PAS leadership such a paralysing effect on the freedom of thought of the million PAS members that they could impose their views on the PAS membership, even with fallacious arguments which run counter to the facts or the truth – whether on continued opposition to local government elections and in aiding and abetting Najib in the international 1MDB corruption and money-laundering scandal and global kleptocracy?

(Media Statement (2) by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, 26th December 2018)

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Kenyataan Media (2) oleh Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Kuala Lumpur pada Rabu 26 Disember 2018:

Adakah pemikiran kepimpinan PAS yang diketuai Hadi begitu jumud sehinggakan mereka tuli dengan hujah, fakta dan kebenaran seperti yang ditunjukkan oleh penentangan PAS terhadap pilihan raya kerajaan tempatan dan sokongan yang dinyatakan mereka terhadap bekas Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak yang terlibat dalam kleptokrasi global.

Saya terkejut apabila membaca ucapan oleh Presiden PAS, Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang di London di mana beliau memberitahu rakyat Malaysia di sana yang beliau menolak pilihan raya kerajaan tempatan kerana berpendapat ia harus bersifat inklusif supaya kawasan bandar tidak dikuasai oleh hanya suatu kaum sahaja.

Beliau berkata:

“Bila penduduk tertentu kuasai bandar, sudah tentulah bandar-bandar besar, seperti Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, Pulau Pinang, Seremban, Johor Bahru semua dikuasai kaum Cina DAP.

“Kalau satu kaum saja yang menguasai akan timbul 13 Mei balik, kita mengalami peristiwa berdarah 13 Mei.”

Saya terkejut kerana tiga tahun lalu saya dan Hadi pernah bertukar pandangan berkenaan isu pilihan raya kerajaan tempatan, di mana saya bertanya kepada beliau mengapa beliau mendakwa DAP bersifat cauvinis kerana mahukan pilihan raya kerajaan tempatan dilaksanakan.

Dalam respons saya kepada sidang media Hadi di Batu Pahat di mana beliau dipetik sebagai menyifatkan DAP “cauvinis” kerana mahu menghidupkan semula pilihan raya majlis tempatan, saya melahirkan rasa hairan dalam kenyataan di Ipoh pada 13 Julai 2015, mengenai kurangnya daya “kreativiti dan keaslian” pemikiran Hadi berhubung isu itu.

Saya berikan empat sebab bagi menjawab tuduhan tidak berasas Hadi, seperti berikut:

Pertama, adalah satu pembohongan apabila mendakwa bahawa DAP kononnya mahu mengawal sepenuhnya negara menerusi pilihan raya kerajaan tempatan, dengan membuat andaian yang ia adalah cara untuk kaum Cina menguasai politik pasca Pilihan Raya Umum ke-13 (PRU13) atas alasan 60% kawasan Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) diwakili DAP.

Pembohongan itu mengarut dan tidak berasas atas tiga sebab:

(I) DAP tidak mengawal 60% kerusi DUN pada PRU13, kerana tiga komponen Pakatan Rakyat yang terdiri daripada DAP, PKR dan PAS (Sehingga PR dibubarkan pada Muktamar PAS pada 3 Jun 2015) menang kurang 50% kerusi DUN pada PRU13. Keseluruhan jumlah dan peratusan kerusi DUN yang dimenangi tiga komponen PR pada PRU13 adalah sebanyak 229 kerusi atau 45% daripada 505 keseluruhan kerusi DUN.

(ii) DAP tidak pernah menjadi parti untuk kaum Cina atau mana-mana kaum atau agama tertentu, kerana sejak penubuhannya pada 1966, DAP komited terhadap matlamat untuk menjadi sebuah parti rakyat Malaysia tanpa mengira kaum atau agama. Malah, DAP adalah parti politik Pan-Malaysia pertama di Malaysia, dengan cawangan di seluruh negeri.

(iii) Menghidupkan semula pilihan raya kerajaan tempatan merupakan objektif DAP sejak penubuhannya pada 1966. Saya menyampaikan sekurang-kurangnya dua ucapan utama di Parlimen berkenaan pengembalian kerajaan tempatan semasa tiga tahun sidang Parlimen dari 1971 hingga 1974 – iaitu penggal pertama saya dilantik sebagai Ahli Parlimen.

Kedua, adalah mengelirukan dan tidak bertanggungjawab apabila mengatakan bahawa pengembalian semula pilihan raya majlis tempatan akan menguntungkan kaum Cina dan meminggirkan kaum Melayu. Kenyataan ini tidak mengendahkan hakikat mengenai penstrukturan semula kerajaan tempatan dan proses urbanisasi kaum Melayu sejak lima dekad lalu, di mana Malaysia mempunyai 148 pihak berkuasa tempatan, kira-kira 90% yang mana mempunyai majoriti kaum Melayu melebihi 50% populasi, sementara hanya dua atau tiga peratus daripada 148 pihak berkuasa tempatan mempunyai majoriti kaum Cina, sementara baki 13 terdiri daripada pelbagai kaum, tujuh daripadanya didominasi kaum Cina sementara enam kaum Melayu.

Ketiga, sokongan terhadap pilihan raya kerajaan tempatan tidak menjadikan seseorang itu “komunis” atau “cauvinis” kerana pilihan raya kerajaan tempatan juga dijalankan di Indonesia, Turki dan Iran. Adakah Hadi mengatakan bahawa Presiden Jokowi dan Erdogan dan bekas Presiden Iran Ahmadnejad atau Indonesia, Turki dan Iran bersifat “komunis” atau “cauvinis”.

Keempat, dakwaan bahawa DAP secara sepihak dan sesuka hati mahukan pilihan raya kerajaan tempatan dimasukkan dalam Dasar Bersama Pakatan Rakyat adalah tidak berasas. Hakikatnya, pengembalian pilihan raya kerajaan tempatan ada dalam manifesto kebangsaan Pakatan Rakyat dan manifesto negeri PR Selangor untuk PRU13.

Sudah saya katakan bahawa PAS dan DAP berpisah daripada Pakatan Rakyat kerana pencabulan terhadap Rangka Kerja Dasar Bersama Pakatan Rakyat dan penghinaan Hadi terhadap prinsip operasi konsensus PR, kerana mahu menggunakan kuasa veto ke atas keputusan yang dipersetujui sebulat suara oleh kepimpinan PR walaupun PAS ketika itu dikendalikan oleh bekas Timbalan Presiden PAS, Mohamad Sabu.

Tiada jawapan ataupun respons daripada Hadi kerana sememangnya saya bercakap berdasarkan fakta dan kebenaran, dan Hadi tidak mampu membalas hujah saya.

Ini sebabnya mengapa saya terkejut apabila Hadi ke London untuk menggunakan hujah sama yang mana telah saya jawab sejak tiga tahun lalu.

Malah, hujah bahawa pengembalian pilihan raya kerajaan tempatan akan menguntungkan kaum Cina dan merugikan kaum Melayu amat tidak masuk akal jika diambil kira situasi sekarang.

Seperti yang saya katakan pada tiga tahun lalu, berdasarkan Bancian 2010, daripada 148 pihak berkuasa tempatan di Malaysia (terdiri daripada tiga Dewan Bandaraya, sembilan Majlis Bandaraya, 37 Majlis Perbandaran dan 99 Majlis Daerah, hanya dua atau tiga peratus pihak berkuasa tempat mempunyai majoriti kaum Cina, iaitu Sibu (Cina 63.4% Melayu/bumiputra 35.7% India 0.4% Lain-lain 0.5%); Kuching Selatan (Cina 62.5% Melayu/bumiputra 36.4% India 0.6% Lain-lain 0.5%) and Pulau Pinang (Cina 56.4% Melayu 33.7%; India 9.5% Lain-lain 0.4%).

Pihak berkuasa tempatan dengan majoriti kaum Melayu melebihi 50% jumlah populasi adalah sebanyak 132 atau 89.2% daripada 148 pihak berkuasa tempatan, dengan baki 13 lagi terdiri daripada pelbagai kaum, dengan tujuh didominasi kaum Cina dan enam didominasi kaum Melayu.

Dalam Bancian 2020 yang akan dilaksanakan kira-kira setahun akan datang, akan berlaku lebih perubahan komposisi kaum mengikut demografi pihak berkuasa tempatan dalam memberi kelebihan kepada orang Melayu. Ini disumbang oleh kadar kelahiran tinggi kaum Melayu berbanding bukan Melayu.

Pengembalian semula pilihan raya tempatan setelah 53 tahun digantung adalah penting dalam pembinaan bukan sahaja demokrasi, namun pembinaan negara plural di Malaysia.

Ia tidak ada kena mengena dengan kaum, agama, atau Raja-raja, sebaliknya tentang merit, jalan raya dan sampah (Rates, Roads and Rubbish) walaupun skop tanggungjawab kerajaan tempatan kini sudah lebih meluas dan pesat berkembang, ermasuk perkhidmatan komuniti seperti perpustakaan dan taman, pelancongan, pembaharuan bandar, perkhidmatan kesihatan komuniti, sistem pengangkutan yang baik dan kawalan pencemaran.

Kerajaan tempatan yang dilantik akan memperkasakan masyarakat dengan hak demokratik bagi membolehkan mereka menyertai pentadbiran demokratik pada tahap ketiga dalam menjadi sebahagian elemen penting proses pembuatan keputusan berkenaan dengan persekitaran mereka – memberikan mereka pengalaman pentadbiran demokratik di peringkat akar umbi.

Bolehkan kepimpinan PAS yang diketuai Hadi berhenti melihat pilihan raya kerajaan tempatan dari kaca mata politik toksik dan jahat yang berbaur pembohongan, kebencian, ketakutan, perkauman dan keagamaan, sebaliknya daripada pandangan demokrasi kerajaan tempatan?

Atau adakah pemikiran kepimpinan PAS yang diketuai Hadi begitu jumud sehinggakan mereka tuli dengan hujah, fakta dan kebenaran seperti yang ditunjukkan oleh penentangan PAS terhadap pilihan raya kerajaan tempatan dan sokongan mereka terhadap bekas Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak yang terlibat dalam kleptokrasi global.

– Lim Kit Siang