00:00Public service delivery in Sarawak remains stagnant despite the large number of seats in the state assembly
00:07due to a lack of empowerment of the state's local councils, says an academic.
00:13Trisha Yeo of University of Nottingham Malaysia School of Politics and International Relations
00:17said the real reason for low service delivery is not the lack of representation,
00:22but the state executive's tight control over development funds, planning authority and local governance.
00:27She told FMT, despite the large number of seats held by Gabungan Party Sarawak in the assembly,
00:34local service delivery in Cebu and other areas remain stagnant due to state-level bottlenecks, not due to lack of representation.
00:43Yeo said that according to Sarawak's Local Authority Ordinance 1996,
00:47local councils do not possess planning power, but are merely a state agent providing housekeeping services to residents.
00:54She said fair apportionment may enhance political equity,
00:59but unless structural reforms empower local councils with planning, budgeting and human resources authority,
01:06the service delivery will remain stifled.
01:09The Sarawak assembly recently passed a bill to raise seats from 82 to 99,
01:14which party Pesakabubi Pujabur Satu, Vice President Fadila Youssof,
01:18said would boost rural representation and amplify local voices in policymaking.
