MACC chief Azam Baki said the draft bill is comprehensive but requires phased enforcement, which will take time.
PETALING JAYA: Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief Azam Baki has called for the enactment of a political financing law to be expedited, with an initial focus on regulating funding for election campaigns.
Azam made the call as part of broader efforts to improve Malaysia’s 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) score and ranking, which remained at 50 and 57th place, respectively, compared to 2023.
He said the passing of a political financing law is timely, given the number of elections that will take place.
Azam said he had suggested to law and institutional reform minister Azalina Othman Said that it is best to start small, with a pilot phase.
“In Malaysia, we have a general election every five years and numerous by-elections (in between). Let’s start with that.
“The next nationwide polls are just two-and-a-half years away. It’s best to table the bill and debate it now. As far as I know, the political financing bill is currently stuck at the special select committee stage.
“When discussions drag on, it creates a certain perception. Why the delay?” he said on Astro Awani’s Dialog Tiga Penjuru segment today.
He said the draft bill is comprehensive but requires phased enforcement, which will take time.
“For instance, every donation and financial contribution to political parties must be reported. I want to highlight that political parties in Malaysia, at every branch and division level, have their own bank accounts.
“Umno alone has about 6,000 accounts, while PKR may have 3,000. Who will oversee all these accounts? That’s how detailed the draft bill is,” he said.
Source link
