KUALA LUMPUR: Not all political parties need tens of thousands of Ringgit on a regular basis just to get its machinery moving nationwide, said DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang.
In the case of his party, Lim said DAP had always been short of funds as it only relied on contributions.
“DAP has always been short of funds. The difference is that we don’t spend the way Barisan Nasional parties do or did. We have the ‘Milo tin’ going around.
“We don’t require what Umno divisions get where they receive allocations (allegedly) about RM30,000 to RM50,000 for each division, which is to us is a great luxury and a fantastic amount,” he told the New Straits Times recently.
According to Lim, besides receiving contributions from members and supporters, DAP also imposed a requirement on its Members of Parliament and state assemblymen to allocate a certain percentage of their allowances to donate to the party.
From all these contributions, according to Lim, the party would manage the funds sensibly by operating on minimal expenditure and that includes when holding a national-level event.
“Spending hundreds of millions does not guarantee you support. Besides, it is just not in our culture to simply give money away,” he said, adding that even its candidates had to pay their own deposit when contesting for DAP in an election.
It was reported that DAP’s ally, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia was facing financial constraints at its branch and division levels nationwide.
Bersatu vice-president Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman previously said that many party division leaders conveyed their financial woes to him.
He had suggested for the government to instate the functions of the Federal Development Department (JPP) to benefit the party, an idea which landed him in hot water.
There were also calls for the grassroots leaders to be awarded government contracts but Bersatu Chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said Pakatan Harapan would not stoop to cronyism.
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