Outcry for councils to include NGO representatives

KUCHING: A former councillor of Kuching South City Council (MBKS) who represented a non-governmental organisation (NGO) will keep to his role of being the bridge between local councils and the community despite being recently replaced.

Liew Kui Moon, vice-president of Federation of Kuching-Samarahan-Serian Chinese Associations, said he did not resent his omission but expressed concern over the lack of NGO representation in the local authority.

He feared that this move (of not including NGO representatives in the new line-up of MBKS councillors) would cause inconvenience to certain quarters, particularly those averse to approaching councillors with political background.

“Some people prefer to approach representatives from the NGOs when they face problems. I helped bring up a lot of problems faced by the community during my two-year tenure.

“Perhaps being neutral is the main reason many people can come to me with their problems. I’m not saying I help them with policy-making issues but minor problems like potholes,” he said in a phone interview yesterday.

Liew said he had no hard feelings about not being re-appointed MBKS councillor, but opined that the state government should reinstate the appointment of NGO representatives in the councils.

He said he had developed close ties with MBKS and DBKU over the two years and prior to his appointment as councillor.

“Without the councillorship, I am still able to help raise problems faced by the people. Even though I am no longer a councillor, I keep in touch with the council’s secretary as well as officers at DBKU.”

However, Temenggong Lu Kim Yong, who was extremely disappointed that no NGO representative was appointed as MBKS councillor, described the new arrangement as unwise.

According to him, the five councillor posts for NGOs in the previous line-up were the result of the effort of the Federation of Kuching-Samarahan-Serian Chinese Associations and other NGOs.

He felt that it was not right for the five posts to be taken up by leaders of political parties.

Lu, who was president of the federation, stressed that it was unjust to put political parties before NGOs which were close to the grassroots.

“Has the government thought about how NGOs would feel about this? Not only is this not a wise move but the community might react negatively to it.”

He hoped the minister in charge would be more respectful of NGOs’ feelings and contributions.

Previously, he said, the federation used to recommend candidates from various NGOs to be councillors in not just MBKS but also Padawan Municipal Council and Serian District Council.

Concurring with Lu, secretary-general of the federation Lim Ah Ted said although it was a let-down, the State Legislative Assembly did not make it a policy to include NGO representatives in local councils, thus it would be up to the minister in charge whether to include NGOs or not.

Lim added that at its delegates’ conference in Bintulu last Sunday (July 24), the federation resolved to appeal to the state government to continue appointing NGO representatives as councillors.