Shadow Policy Committee

The Penang state government has set up a legal advisory committee with former Bar Council president Yeo Yang Poh as the chairman to look into the legal aspects of carrying out local government elections. Chief Minister and DAP Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng said Yeo, who is also the deputy chairman of the Penang Pardons Board, will work with a legal team to pave the way to bring back the polls and decide on the state government's next course of action. "The committee will look at the various legal points raised in the 10-page reply from the EC on why the local government election cannot be held. "The EC had also pointed out in the reply that the state government should have raised the matter with the local government council chaired by the deputy prime minister as it was the right avenue to decide on this matter. "The state government via the state local government exco chairman Chow Kon Yeow had twice written to the local government committee, on July 1...

The Penang state government today questioned the neutrality of the Election Commission (EC) after it turned down the request for local government elections without consultation with the state. Penang Chief Minister and DAP Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng said the state had requested to discuss the local polls request with the EC via a letter dated March 4 after its executive councillors on March 3 unanimously agreed to hold local elections for the Penang Municipal Council (MPPP) and Seberang Perai Municipal Council (MPSP). He maintained that Article 113(4) of the Federal Constitution empowered the EC to conduct elections apart from those involving state and parliamentary elections, stressing that the Penang government also was relying on provisions in the Local Government Act 1976 and the Local Government Elections Act 1960 in restoring the local government elections. "The Local Government Elections Act 1960 has not been repealed. If the EC is unsure whet...