Penang restores local council elections

(Bernama) – The state government has decided to hold elections to elect members of the Penang Municipal Council and Seberang Perai Municipal Council, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said.

He said the state government had written a letter to the Election Commission (EC), empowering the commission to conduct the elections.

Lim added that the local government elections were “to restore democracy in the local government and return power to the people”.

“After weighing the matter for quite sometime, the Penang executive council, in a meeting on Wednesday, decided to write a letter to the EC, empowering it to conduct the elections,” he said after attending the 11th Penang Sports Club International Soccer 7s today.

He said the move was in accordance with Article 113 (4) of the federal constitution which states that federal or state law may authorise the EC to conduct election other than parliamentary or state elections.

Lim hoped that the EC would decide on the matter soon.