Let state, local govts handle housing, public transport, education: Maria

KUALA LUMPUR – Maria Chin Abdullah has called for the decentralisation of certain federal and state powers, in the name of serving the people better.

The Petaling Jaya lawmaker from PKR said passing down some responsibilities to local governments will ease the burden on elected representatives, who already have a long list of duties.

Responsibilities pertaining to housing, public transport and education, in particular, should be decentralised, she told a webinar hosted by Bersih 2.0 during the official launch of a research report, titled “Reintroduction of Local Government Elections in Malaysia”, that was commissioned by the electoral watchdog. 

At present, issues concerning education and transport fall under federal jurisdiction, while matters on housing are under state purview. 

“All these are closely related to efforts to solve poverty, even in urban cities. These are basic needs that are quite badly neglected at the moment,” said Maria.

“If these responsibilities are decentralised from the federal level, for example, there will be the better sharing of tasks. Also, a lot of these issues are those that states and local councillors handle on a daily basis. 

“If we can decentralise some of these powers to local councils, or from the federal to state level, we may see better services for the rakyat.”

She added that even if some of these powers are decentralised, funding, or at least a large portion of it, should still come from the federal government.

Research analyst Danesh Prakash Chacko, who conducted the study, in the report said one of the main benefits of the decentralisation of powers to local governments is more freedom and flexibility at the local government level.

“Similarly, decentralisation to state governments from the federal government will allow state authorities to respond better and quicker, in comparison to ministers who sit in a faraway capital. 

“An example of decentralisation that is badly needed is (with regard to) public transport, where state and local authorities know the best routes for buses.” – The Vibes, January 20, 2021