The annual budget of cities in Malaysia reaches billions of ringgit every year. The budget for Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) alone amounts to RM3 billion a year, exceeding the budgets of states such as Selangor (RM2.34 billion), Johor (RM1.95 billion) and Perlis (RM306.83 million).
Despite this, Malaysians living in urban areas have been deprived of the right to elect their local governments, including in Kuala Lumpur. This is one of the country’s biggest issues, leaving the people exposed to manipulation by those who are irresponsible to syphon resources from the public coffers.
Indeed, city councils like DBKL are now seemingly run like private, for-profit companies that prioritise the interest of developers without taking any heed to the welfare and interest of residents. Therefore, we need more effective democratisation to protect the interests of the people. Malaysians have the right to participate in the democratic process at the local government level to ensure their welfare is safeguarded.
Stronger Public Participation
HARAPAN is determined to give the people a platform to encourage public engagement at all levels through a consistent and open platform. This is especially important because it involves citizens’ interests that can have an impact on their lives – such as local development projects and local policies.
Working Towards Representative Democracy in DBKL
The HARAPAN government will work hard to empower democracy and transparency in DBKL through systematic methods. This effort will ensure that all Malaysians can elect representation that is reliable, inclusive and represents the interests of the people, not the developers.