GEORGE TOWN: The ball is now in the Election Commission's (EC) court to decide on the Penang state government's request for local elections to be initiated, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said today.

Commenting on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's statement that local council elections were not necessary as they would only lead to politicking, Lim said the state government was still waiting for word from the EC.

"I disagree with Najib that local government elections are unnecessary as the elections will help strengthen the democratic process from the grassroots level upwards," said Lim.

"I don't see signs of locally elected councillors doing a worse job just because they are from the grassroots.

"The ball is in the EC's court on whether they should follow the indicator given by Najib or respond independently.

"The EC should address this issue instead of quibbling over not having received our letter," Lim said after the official opening of the Eastin Hotel Penang.

Najib had commented on the request made by the Penang state government last week for the EC to conduct elections at local government level, saying that the elections would not guarantee that local authorities would provide better service to the people.

Recently, the Penang state executive council had unanimously agreed for local elections to be held and a letter was sent to EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof to initiate the process.

The request was made pursuant to Article 113(4) of the Federal Constitution, which provides for federal and state laws to authorise the EC to conduct elections other than that for parliament or state assemblies.

Local government elections were last held in Penang 45 years ago.