Local government in Malaysia

Local government in Malaysia is the third level of government, working under states and federal territories and the federal tier. It helps manage towns, cities, and rural areas. The federal Ministry of Housing and Local Government supports local governments by setting rules for them across the whole country.

Local authorities, also called local governments, are led by a civil servant. In rural areas, this leader is called a President, while in cities, the leader is called a Mayor. Unlike many other places, councillors are chosen by state governments instead of being elected by local people. This system started when local elections were stopped in 1965 and later ended completely in 1976.

These local governments have some powers, such as collecting small taxes, making rules, and giving permits for businesses. They also take care of basic services like cleaning streets, managing trash, and planning how areas should grow. Local government areas are different from districts, which are used mainly for collecting land taxes. In some busy states like Selangor, Penang, and Johor, local government areas can cover more than one district.

State controlled

Local government in Malaysia is managed by each state or territory, meaning the way councils work can vary from place to place. Even so, they all have similar jobs in helping their communities.

Some areas don’t have separate local governments, and state departments often watch over and help with local council matters.

Local governments by type and state

Historical background

The way Malaysia is governed today comes from when it was ruled by Britain. Many rules are based on British laws, but over time, Malaysia added its own special touches.

Long ago, in 1801, the British set up a group called the Council of Assessors in Penang to help plan the town. Later, similar groups were started in Malacca, Federated and Unfederated Malay States, and even in Sarawak and North Borneo. Special rules were made to help these groups work, like the Local Government Election Ordinance in 1950, which let people choose leaders for their local areas. By the time Malaysia became independent from Britain in 1957, there were 289 of these local groups.

In the 1960s, things got tricky for these local groups. They had trouble with politics and management. Also, when Indonesia disagreed with Malaysia forming in 1963, the government stopped people from voting for local leaders in 1965. After that, local leaders were chosen by the government instead of by voters.

In 1965, the government created a special group to look into how these local groups worked. This group finished its work in 1969 and shared its ideas in 1971. Some of these ideas helped change how local groups worked. New rules were made, and one big change was that local leaders were no longer chosen by voters but appointed by the state government. Instead of just being about voting, local groups began focusing more on helping with development projects to improve the economy.

Even though each state government handles its own local groups, the Ministry of Housing and Local Government helps make sure they all follow the same rules and get money from the federal government.

Laws governing local authorities in Malaysia

The constitution of 1957 gave the power to run local governments to the state governments, except in federal territories. A change in 1960 created a group called the National Council for Local Government. This group includes a leader from the federal government and representatives from each state. The federal government has some control over this group.

Besides the constitution, many laws passed by the parliament guide how local governments work in Malaysia. The most important law is the Local Government Act 1976. This law explains how local councils are organized and what they do. Another law, the Town and Country Planning Act 1976, helps plan land use in local areas. The Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974 talks about keeping roads and public buildings in good shape. There are also other laws to help local governments run smoothly.

For the states of Sabah and Sarawak, special rules apply. The federal parliament cannot make laws about land and local government for these states. However, they still send representatives to meetings as observers.

In Sabah, local authorities were set up under the Local Government Ordinance 1961. A state ministry, the Ministry of Local Government and Housing, looks after these authorities.

In Sarawak, local authorities were created under the Local Authority Ordinance 1996. This replaced an older law from before Malaysia’s independence. Other laws help run these authorities, like the Building Ordinance 1994 and the Protection of Public Health Ordinance 1999. In the Kuching area, there are three local authorities set up under special rules from 1988 and 1996. The state Ministry of Environment and Public Health oversees these local councils.

Types of local government

See also: List of local governments in Malaysia

In Malaysia, there are four main types of local governments. These include city councils, municipal councils, rural district councils, and special statutory bodies. Each type has its own role in managing areas across the country.

Currently, Malaysia has 155 local authorities. These include 20 city councils, 40 municipal councils, 91 district councils, and 4 statutory bodies. Each of these councils helps take care of their local communities and areas.

Status criteria

See also: List of cities in Malaysia

To become a city, a local government area must have at least 500,000 people and earn at least RM 100 million each year. For a smaller town called a municipality, the rules are less strict: it needs at least 150,000 people and RM 20 million in yearly income. These rules were set in June 2008.

Before that, the rules were different: cities needed 300,000 people and RM 20 million in income, while municipalities needed 100,000 people and RM 5 million. Usually, the main cities of each state are at least municipalities.