Local Councillor, Anyone?

Hey, the Pakatan Rakyat coalition state governments are looking for prospective candidates to be appointed councillors in the local governments (Majlis Perbandaran/Bandaraya)

Do you want to offer yourself as a Local Councillor in your respective Majlis Perbandaran/Bandaraya?
Are you interested in making decisions and influencing what happens in your town/city?
Do you think you could represent the people of your area?

Read on to see if you or someone else can fit into this job as a councillor.


The role/s of a councillor
The main role of a councillor is to represent their area and the people who live there. Councillors help make decisions about the way local services are provided, and how the council tax and government grants are spent.

A councillor:
provides a voice for and help to all members of the community
makes decisions on behalf of residents
contributes to council policy and strategy
has responsibility for scrutiny (checking and monitoring what the council does)
has regulatory duties (making sure laws are kept to, e.g. planning and licensing)
is a community leader

What does a councillor do for us?
holds service clinics, where local people can ask for help or advice
follows up on issues raised at these service clinics
represents the community within the council and to other organisations
develops links with all parts of the community
supports local partnerships and organisations
campaigns on local issues

Scrutiny
To review council policies and activities. Scrutiny takes in a varied range of activities. These are:
Review and development of the council's policies
Make policy and budget proposals to the council
Review of proposed executive decisions
Call in or review of decisions before they are implemented
Performance monitoring and review

Regulatory Powers
All councils have various committees which councillors sits in as a member.
planning permission
Finance
licensing
Tender
etc

Community Leadership
Councillors take a comprehensive view of the needs and priorities of local areas and lead in the work that is needed to meet these needs. This often takes place in partnership with other organisations and councillors may:-
be involved with other voluntary organisations
participate in joint working with other local authorities
serve on a range of regional, health or local partnership groups.

Are councillors paid?
They do not get salaries or wages (they are not employees of the council), but are entitled to allowances, which are designed to partly recompensate them for the costs they face in carrying out their public duties.

What is the difference between a councillor and a council officer?
A councillor is an appointed, unpaid representative, who usually belongs to a political party. An officer is a non-political paid employee of a council. Elected councillors provide the policies which officers then put into practice.

What is the difference between a local councillor and an ADUN/MP?
The job of a Member of Parliament (MP) is to represent the people of his or her constituency (area) in the Dewan Rakyat. Your MP is there to help you with all matters for which Parliament or central government is responsible.

The job of a Assemblyman/woman (Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri-ADUN) is to represent the people of his or her constituency (area) in the State Assembly. Your ADUN is there to help you with all matters for which State Assembly or State government is responsible.

Local councillors in Malaysia is currently appointed by the state government to sit in the local Council. For instance, Selangor State Government which is currently controlled by the new coalition Pakatan Rakyat comprising PKR-DAP-PAS appoints all the members in the local councils in the state.

A councillor makes decisions affecting the wider council area (eg. MPSJ/MBPJ/MBSA) and acts as a focus and leader for the local community.They are responsible for making decisions on behalf of the local community about local services, such as land use, refuse collection, licensing, parks and leisure facilities, recycling, social housing, planning and development control, cemeteries and crematorium, car parking, food hygiene and environmental protection.