State governments blocking local elections over revenue concerns, Muda claims

Zaidel Baharuddin, deputy president of Muda, has alleged that state governments are deliberately postponing local elections because they depend heavily on income generated by local authorities (PBT). Speaking on the matter, Zaidel contended that state administrations face significant budgetary pressures and constitutional restrictions that limit their revenue-raising capacity. With local councils serving as a crucial income stream for state coffers, holding elections that could alter their management has become politically unattractive for ruling administrations. The claim highlights ongoing tensions over the decentralisation of Malaysia's electoral process and the financial interdependencies between state and municipal governments. Local council elections have been suspended nationwide since 1965, with the issue remaining a contentious political matter amid calls from civil society groups and opposition parties for their restoration.