Local government in Sabah

The local government in Sabah is the lowest level government in Sabah, Malaysia. It ranks third in the Malaysian government system after federal and state government. Local governments have the power to levy property taxes, to enact local laws and regulations, and to issue licenses and permits for any type of trade in their area. However, it also has the obligation to provide basic utilities, such as to regulate rubbish collection and waste disposal and to ensure urban or regional planning.

The district and municipal constitution in Sabah is based on the Local Government Ordinance 1961. This ordinance also regulates the responsibilities and functions of community organs. A state ministry, the Ministry of Local Government and Housing, which was first established after the 1963 state elections, regulates the activities of the district/municipal authorities in the state of Sabah.

Foundation of local administration

Sabah is divided into administrative districts. The administrative districts are made up of towns and defined areas. These administrative districts, commonly referred to as the L.A.A (local authority area), will be governed by (depending on the status of the administrative district governed):

  • "Dewan Bandaraya" (City Hall)
  • "Majlis Perbandaran" (Municipal Council)
  • "Majlis Daerah" (District Council)

The basis of this structure is the Local Government Ordinance 1961. This decree empowers the Yang di-Pertua Negeri, among other things, to equip the districts with certain powers and to determine the names and boundaries of the districts. The structure of the administrative districts was first established in 1961 by this ordinance and then amended as necessary by decree (Administrative Divisions Proclamation).

District Name of the local government executive Date of establishment Number of council members Decree
BeaufortBeaufort District Council1 January 196220Beaufort District Council Instrument[1]
BeluranBeluran District Council1 July 196811Labuk/Sugut District Council Instrument 1968[2][note 1]
KeningauKeningau District Council1 January 196220Keningau District Council Instrument[3]
Kota BeludKota Belud District Council1 January 196218Kota Belud District Council Instrument[4]
KinabatanganKinabatangan District Council1 July 196811Kinabatangan District Council Instrument[5]
Kota KinabaluKota Kinabalu Municipal Council1 January 197920Kota Kinabalu Municipal Council Instrument 1978[6]
Kota MaruduKota Marudu District Council1 January 198318Kota Marudu District Council Instrument[7]
Kuala PenyuKuala Penyu District Council1 January 196218Kuala Penyu District Council Instrument[8]
KudatKudat Town Board1 January 198320Kudat Town Board Instrument 1982[9]
KunakKunak District Council1 June 199418Kunak District Council Instrument 1994[10]
Lahad DatuLahad Datu District Council1 January 196218Lahad Datu District Council Instrument[11]
PaparPapar District Council1 January 196220Papar District Council Instrument[12]
PenampangPenampang District Council1 January 196220Penampang District Council Instrument[13]
NabawanNabawan District Council1 January 196411Pensiangan District Council Instrument 1964[14][note 2]
PitasPitas District Council8 June 201018Pitas District Council Instrument 2009[15]
PutatanPutatan District Council8 June 201018Putatan District Council Instrument 2010[16]
RanauRanau District Council1 January 196218Ranau District Council Instrument[17]
SandakanSandakan Municipal Council1 January 198220Sandakan Municipal Council Instrument[18]
SempornaSemporna District Council1 January 196218Semporna District Council Instrument[19]
SipitangSipitang District Council1 January 196218Sipitang District Council Instrument[20]
TambunanTambunan District Council1 January 196218Tambunan District Council Instrument[21]
TawauTawau Municipal Council1 January 198224Tawau Municipal Council Instrument[22]
Telupid
TenomTenom District Council1 January 196218Tenom District Council Instrument[23]
TongodTongod District Council
TuaranTuaran District Council1 January 196220Tuaran District Council Instrument 1961[24]

Division to districts

Sabah is initially divided into five administrative areas - Interior Division, Kudat Division, Sandakan Division, Tawau Division and West Coast Division. These administrative areas are assigned to districts. The administration of a district is the responsibility of a district officer. Associated with the district office is an assistant district officer. The administrative headquarters of the district is the District Office (Pejabat Daerah). Usually, the districts are named after the largest city/towns within the area or after the seat of the administration; For example, the town of Sandakan is the largest in the district of Sandakan under the Sandakan Division. Districts can be further subdivided into sub-districts (daerah kecil, literally "small district"). These do not represent a separate administrative level, but are to be understood as an "extended arm" of the district office, which perform certain administrative tasks in the district/municipalities. The status of a sub-district is an important step in the direction to achieve full district status. Until 2011, there were 11 sub-districts in Sabah:[25]

Banggi Kemabong Matunggong Membakut
MenumbokPagalunganPaitanSook
TamparuliTelupidTungku

Status of administrative districts

Sabah has three different types of administrative districts. The lowest level of a local authority is the district administered by a district council. There are certain criteria for upgrading:

Dewan Bandaraya
(City Hall)		 Majlis Perbandaran
(Municipal Council)		 Majlis Daerah
(District Council)
Populationfrom 500,000 inhabitantsfrom 150,000 inhabitantsless than 150,000 inhabitants
Tax revenuesSustainably secured income of at least RM100 million[note 3][note 4]Sustainably secured income of at least RM20 million[note 5]Less than RM20 million
AreasKota KinabaluSandakan, TawauBeaufort, Keningau, Kinabatangan/Tongod, Kota Belud, Kota Marudu/Pitas, Kuala Penyu, Kunak, Lahad Datu, Nabawan, Papar, Penampang/Putatan, Ranau, Semporna, Sipitang, Tambunan, Tenom, Tuaran, Kudat

The "Local Government Department of States of Malaysia" criteria for the status of a local authority comprise a number of requirements.[26] For example, Kota Kinabalu had to prove for his status as a city hall, among other things:

  • sustainable urban development;
  • the presence of an industrial centre, a financial and commercial centre and tourism and business-oriented hotels;
  • a fully developed infrastructure including public transport;
  • a public perception of the city on a national and international level;
  • a full range of educational facilities such as university, college, museum and public library;
  • an internationally active centre of sports and cultural activities as well;
  • the organisation of national and international congresses

Others

Differences from other states

Unlike other states in Malaysia, the administrative level of mukim does not exist in Sabah. In the context of the district/municipal administration in Sabah, mukim are a summary of various settlements and villages, which, however, are subordinate to the district offices.

Dependencies

In contrast to the situation in Germany, where the municipal councils always represent the representation of the municipal citizens even in their different forms (municipal representation), the members of the "City Hall", the "Municipal Council" and the "District Council" are not democratically elected by the people as they are elected by the Minister of Local Government and Housing. The effectiveness of local laws and regulations is also only established by the ratification of the Minister of State.

Common abbreviations

Within the administrative of Sabah, the following abbreviations are often found:[27]

Abbreviation Malay translation Official English term
L.A.A.Local Authority Area
D.B.Dewan BandarayaCity Hall
M.P.Majlis PerbandaranMunicipal Council
M.D.Majlis DaerahDistrict Council
L.B.Lembaga BandaranTown Board

See also

Notes
  1. By decree of 2 December 2004, it was ordered, inter alia, that in the future the word "Labuk/Sugut" should be replaced by the word "Beluran".
  2. By decree of 2 December 2004, it was ordered, inter alia, that in the future the word "Pensiangan" should be replaced by the word "Nabawan".
  3. About €250 million.
  4. Balanced housekeeping is a condition.
  5. About €5 million.

References
  1. "Beaufort District Council Instrument" (PDF). Local Government Ordinance (No. 11). Sabah State Attorney General's Chambers. 16 December 1961. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 February 2013. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  2. "Labuk/Sugut District Council Instrument" (PDF). Local Government Ordinance (No. 11). Sabah State Attorney General's Chambers. 27 May 1968. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 October 2013. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  3. "Keningau District Council Instrument" (PDF). Local Government Ordinance (No. 11). Sabah State Attorney General's Chambers. 16 December 1961. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  4. "Kota Belud District Council Instrument" (PDF). Local Government Ordinance (No. 11). Sabah State Attorney General's Chambers. 16 December 1961. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  5. "Kinabatangan District Council Instrument" (PDF). Local Government Ordinance (No. 11). Sabah State Attorney General's Chambers. 27 May 1968. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 October 2013. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  6. "Kota Kinabalu Municipal Council Instrument" (PDF). Local Government Ordinance (No. 11). Sabah State Attorney General's Chambers. 30 December 1978. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 April 2014. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  7. "Kota Marudu District Council Instrument" (PDF). Local Government Ordinance (No. 11). Sabah State Attorney General's Chambers. 27 January 1983. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  8. "Kuala Penyu District Council Instrument" (PDF). Local Government Ordinance (No. 11). Sabah State Attorney General's Chambers. 16 December 1961. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 October 2013. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  9. "Kudat Town Board Instrument" (PDF). Local Government Ordinance (No. 11). Sabah State Attorney General's Chambers. 23 May 1994. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  10. "Kunak District Council Instrument" (PDF). Local Government Ordinance (No. 11). Sabah State Attorney General's Chambers. 23 May 1994. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  11. "Lahad Datu District Council Instrument" (PDF). Local Government Ordinance (No. 11). Sabah State Attorney General's Chambers. 16 December 1961. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  12. "Papar District Council Instrument" (PDF). Local Government Ordinance (No. 11). Sabah State Attorney General's Chambers. 16 December 1961. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  13. "Penampang District Council Instrument" (PDF). Local Government Ordinance (No. 11). Sabah State Attorney General's Chambers. 16 December 1961. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 April 2014. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  14. "Pensiangan District Council Instrument" (PDF). Local Government Ordinance (No. 11). Sabah State Attorney General's Chambers. 14 January 1964. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 November 2017. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  15. "Pitas District Council Instrument" (PDF). Local Government Ordinance (No. 11). Sabah State Attorney General's Chambers. 23 December 2009. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  16. "Putatan District Council Instrument" (PDF). Local Government Ordinance (No. 11). Sabah State Attorney General's Chambers. 8 June 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 April 2014. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  17. "Ranau District Council Instrument" (PDF). Local Government Ordinance (No. 11). Sabah State Attorney General's Chambers. 16 December 1961. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  18. "Sandakan Municipal Council Instrument" (PDF). Local Government Ordinance (No. 11). Sabah State Attorney General's Chambers. 27 January 1983. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  19. "Semporna District Council Instrument" (PDF). Local Government Ordinance (No. 11). Sabah State Attorney General's Chambers. 16 December 1961. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  20. "Sipitang District Council Instrument" (PDF). Local Government Ordinance (No. 11). Sabah State Attorney General's Chambers. 16 December 1961. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  21. "Tambunan District Council Instrument" (PDF). Local Government Ordinance (No. 11). Sabah State Attorney General's Chambers. 16 December 1961. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 April 2014. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  22. "Tawau Municipal Council Instrument" (PDF). Local Government Ordinance (No. 11). Sabah State Attorney General's Chambers. 8 March 1983. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  23. "Tenom District Council Instrument" (PDF). Local Government Ordinance (No. 11). Sabah State Attorney General's Chambers. 16 December 1961. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  24. "Tuaran District Council Instrument" (PDF). Local Government Ordinance (No. 11). Sabah State Attorney General's Chambers. 16 December 1961. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 April 2014. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  25. "Pejabat Daerah" (in Malay). Ministry of Rural Development, Sabah. Archived from the original on 15 March 2011. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  26. "Local Government Act [As of 1 December 2012]" (PDF). Attorney General's Chamber of Malaysia. Food And Agriculture Organisation, United Nations. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  27. "Total population by ethnic group, Local Authority area and state, Malaysia" (PDF). Department of Statistics, Malaysia. 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 November 2012. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
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