PETALING JAYA, Aug 1 — Coalition of Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) chairman Thomas Fann today reminded voters about the importance of the state election as local councillors are appointed by the state government.

He said it was important for voters to remember that if there is rubbish uncollected in a local housing area, the local authorities are responsible for this.

He explained that when the local authorities are not doing their job, complaints will go to the local councillors and not the Member of Parliament.

"Why is the state government important? Because they are the ones who will appoint our local government or local authorities — ‘Pihak Berkuasa Tempatan’— will be appointed by the state government, whoever becomes the state government will have the power to appoint the local authorities.

"And why that is important is because the local authority impacts us directly. The moment you walk out the street, look behind the alley, rubbish collected or not, who to call, your MP? No, not even the assemblymen, it should be your local council.

"Local council or local authorities are not accountable to us but accountable to the state government. So if we want to see better services, better local businesses, better management of development in our community, we need to have a better state government,” Fann told reporters today at a press conference here.

He said since the state elections are not getting as much attention from the public as they should, Bersih, in collaboration with non-governmental organisations and media partner Astro Awani, will embark on an awareness campaign called "VoteLokal”, to persuade registered voters to exercise their rights.

The campaign also seeks to bring the focus of the state election back on track.

"The majority of the narrative in the campaign by politicians and parties currently is like a referendum on the federal government, issues that are raised are national issues — the 3Rs (race, religion and rulers) — the economy and the cost of living ... very little focus is placed on the fact that these are state elections.

"We want to ensure the focus of the campaign should be about this state election because a new state government will be elected.

"It won’t be the prime minister getting elected, it won’t even be Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin getting elected or Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang, getting elected, but it will be the state government,” he added.

Expressing discontent, Fann said the majority of the politicians who are contesting are getting a free ride from national leaders, and that should not happen.

"I feel very unhappy, I don’t know about you, these people who are running for state government, they are getting a free ride. They don’t have to focus on their performance in the last five years, they don’t have to make any kind of meaningful promises for what they are going to do if they become state government because they are riding on the coat-tail of the national leaders.

"Whatever happens, it’s not going to change the economic policy, it’s not likely to even change the government at the federal level. If people don’t come out to vote for the state government they want, they may end up with a bad state government that appoints bad local authority and then they will start smelling the rubbish around the community, to put it very bluntly,” he said.

Fann said according to data on past state elections, state elections generate about 10 to 15 per cent lesser turnout compared to the general election.

"This would mean that the state election turnout could end up as 59 per cent or 64 per cent, compared to the 74 per cent voter turnout at the last general election,” he said.