LOCAL GOVERNMENT (ADS 505)

Athi Nahappan Proposals

NUR FATIN FATIHAH BINTI AHMAD RUZI

b) Analyse Athi Nahappan proposals for Local Government in Malaysia and the extent to which those proposals can be introduced today.

Athi Nahappan Proposals

In 1965 the Athi Nahappan Royal Commission was set up to examine and restructure the entire LG system in West Malaysia.

Its objectives were:

1)To investigate if the present system of LG serves any useful purpose

2) To report on the above matters and to make such

recommendations, taking into account the adequacy of

existing laws with regard to local authorities

Athi Nahappan main recommendations:

1. That every inch of the country should be covered by a local

authority

2) Every householder in a local authority should be required to pay a nominal contribution of not less than $1 per annum in lieu of rates (In UK it is called a

poll tax)

3) There should be one single law applicable to all local

authorities and every state should enforce the law within 6

month.

4) A local authority should be decentralized and be

autonomous body corporate consisting of fully elected

members with financial and administrative autonomy but subject to the control by the

state authority

5) Election should be run on a party basis

6) Every local authority should have a management board.

7) The secretary of a local authority should be chief

administrator and executive officer of a local authority ( Right

now the DO is still the chief executive at the local level)

8)The secretary should be the focal point of public

administration in a district and not the D.O (the D.O should be

eventually abolished

9) That there should be Regional Inspectorates in LG. They can

represent the northern, eastern and southern regions in

Peninsular Malaysia.

10) That there should be a State Commissioner of LG in each

states

11) A state committee for LG should be established in each

state to exercise the function of the state in relation to LG

12) A local government tribunal should be set up to deal with

complaints from public

13) A ward committee should be set up in every ward of a local

authority

14) All trade and business registered under the Registration

and Business Ordinance 1956 should be required to pay a

license fee annually

The extent Athi Nahappan Proposal can be introduced today.

• Nowadays, Malaysia already covered by the Local Authority • Ex: In Malacca, MBMB will only covered its own local area.

Same with MPHTJ. They will not interfere each other.1) Every inch of the country should be

covered by a local authority

• In Malaysia, the LG are decentralized and autonomous body. Each LG have their own LAW. All the government servant are appointed.

• But all of the LAW are bind by the Federal Constitution

2)A local authority should be decentralized and be autonomous body

corporate consisting of fully elected members with financial and

administrative autonomy but subject to the control by the state authority

• In the Local level the chief executive are District Officer • The DO are responsible towards his own territory.

3) The secretary of a local authority should be chief administrator and

executive officer of a local authority (Right now the DO is still the chief

executive at the local level)

• The local authority have their own management board. • Ex:The MBPJ have their own management board same

goes to MBSJ

5)Every local authority should have a

management board.

• Nowadays, each LG have their own Bureau Public Complaint (Biro Pengaduan Awam)

• Their responsibilities are to manage all the comments and complains made by the public. They want to get the customer feedback

• Ex: all the people stay in MBMB can make a complaint in E-COMPLAINT

4) A local government tribunal should be set up to deal with

complaints from public