KUALA LUMPUR: A law on political funding must be expedited to prevent influential figures or big corporations from exploiting donations to political parties.
All-Party Parliamentary Group Malaysia (APPGM) on Political Financing chairman Wong Chen said delaying the enactions of such a law would allow rich and influential figures to have a stake in democratic institutions.
"I understand that many people think that politicians are rich. However, this is not true. This is why state funding by the government is important.
"If we do not have the act, all Datuk Seri, Tan Sri and Tun will make donations to the (political) party and this would be very detrimental to us in fighting corruption (in the country)," he said at a press conference in Parliament today.
Wong, who is the Subang Jaya member of parliament, said he was informed that a draft of a political funding bill had been completed before the 15th General Election (GE15).
The draft, however, did not provide for political or state funding of political parties, he said.
He urged the government to table the bill during the current parliamentary session.
"We want to thank the government for the honest answer given, at least they are looking into the matter.
"State funding is an essential element in democracy and if it is practised, we can take Malaysia to an international level.
"We also hope the bill could be tabled by the end of this session or latest by March next year as an effort to curb corruption."
In March, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said the government was committed to resubmit the bill to the cabinet for fresh approval.
Azalina said this would allow MPs and other stakeholders to provide feedback on the proposed legislation.
The political financing law, which has been talked about since 2009, was mooted by the government in 2014 but did not materialise.
Former Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar had said the bill would address, among others, conflicts of interest and aspects of sovereignty in determining individuals allowed for posts, and groups and the type of funds allowed to be transferred to political parties.