The Kepong MP said apart from electing MPs, the people within Kuala Lumpur would then be able to elect assemblymen for a better and more effective representation at the local level.

He said currently, the federal territories minister was appointed by the federal government.

“This clearly shows that Kuala Lumpur is directly controlled by the federal government.

“As a result, the administration in Kuala Lumpur is not focused on local residents,” Lim said in a statement.

He said it was time for Kuala Lumpur to be considered a state given that it was an economically-developed region.

“This way, there could be a Kuala Lumpur state assembly for the people to elect their own representatives.

“Through this, a menteri besar may also be appointed to reflect the interests and needs of the people of KL.”

The federal territories consist of Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan. Shahidan Kassim is the current federal territories minister.