KUALA LUMPUR — Perikatan Nasional (PN) has called on the office of Federal Territories Minister Hannah Yeoh to reassess the scope of a feasibility study on proposed mayoral elections for Kuala Lumpur, arguing that more pressing governance issues at the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) should take precedence.
PN chief whip Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan said presenting mayoral elections as the key solution to improving the performance and efficiency of DBKL was “overly simplistic, naïve and misguided”.
“If the real aim is to enhance DBKL’s performance, a more practical and realistic approach would be to direct the study towards its core administrative and governance challenges,” he said in a statement.
Takiyuddin outlined several areas he believed deserved greater attention, including DBKL’s organisational structure, leadership quality, human resource management, coordination among internal units, agencies and the federal government, integrity and enforcement mechanisms, priority-setting, as well as the quality, speed and consistency of decision-making.
The PN deputy secretary-general stressed that the effectiveness of a city’s administration did not primarily depend on how its leadership was selected, whether through appointment or election — but on the strength of its institutions, governance systems and management practices.
“There is no assurance that introducing mayoral elections will automatically lead to improved governance or service delivery.
“On the contrary, it could create new complications such as the politicisation of city administration, electoral populism, potential conflicts between an elected mayor and the federal government, and policy instability driven by election cycles rather than long-term urban planning,” he said.
The Kota Bharu MP also raised legal and constitutional concerns, noting that Kuala Lumpur’s administration falls directly under federal jurisdiction as provided for in the Federal Constitution.
He said any move towards holding mayoral elections would require a comprehensive review of existing laws, including the Federal Capital Act and related legislation.
“This must involve careful consideration of how such a role would coexist with the authority of the Federal Territories minister and other federal executive powers,” he added.
Yeoh had clarified yesterday that the feasibility study on the proposed mayoral election was being conducted by the International Islamic University Malaysia and not by DAP.
She also said the study began in December 2025, when the ministry was headed by Dr Zaliha Mustafa, and remains at an early stage. - February 4, 2026
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