PARLIAMENT | The government has acknowledged a perception that political donations can open the door to government projects, and said efforts to draft a Political Financing Bill are aimed at addressing that concern.
Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) M Kulasegaran said the issue was among the main concerns raised by various stakeholders during engagement sessions on the proposed Political Financing Bill.
“We need to understand that the drafting of this bill is not yet complete and is still under discussion, but I agree that the perception exists that those who contribute may obtain contracts and other advantages.
“This is among the key feedback received and why this bill is being pursued - to address such perceptions and also to avoid situations where those who donate money to political parties or individuals are seen as gaining projects and so on because they made contributions,” he said during Ministers’ Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Kulasegaran (above) was responding to a question from Suhaizan Kaiat (Harapan-Pulai), who asked the prime minister to state the progress of the government’s proposal to draft a Political Financing Act to ensure transparency.
Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker Ramli Nor also described the issue of ensuring political donations do not translate into advantages in securing government projects as relevant.
“What the Pulai MP raised is very relevant,” he said.
Selective enforcement?
In a supplementary question, Zulkifly Jusoh (PN-Besut) sought assurances that any future political financing law would not be enforced selectively.
“Minister, are you really serious about doing this? I want to be sure the government can commit to being fair to all political parties. Don’t use it only against the opposition and deny them justice - that’s what I want to be certain about,” he said.
Zulkifly also suggested that contractors actively seeking government projects should be barred from donating to political parties to prevent influence-buying.
“If possible, contractors who are active with the government should not have their donations accepted because it will lead to the practice of buying influence. We must simply not accept it,” he said.
He added that the awarding of large projects within a short period could create unhealthy perceptions, including those involving foreign companies.
“For example, companies that get rich quickly from government projects, becoming millionaires or billionaires in a short time. This is what we want to avoid, including donations from foreign companies.
“For instance, NED - they were the ones who contributed funds until the opposition then became the government. This is the kind of contribution we do not want to accept,” he said.
NED refers to the National Endowment for Democracy - a private, non-profit foundation in the United States, founded in 1983 to strengthen democratic institutions globally through over 1,900 annual grants.
Thorough study needed
Responding, Kulasegaran stressed the government’s commitment to drafting a political financing law but acknowledged that the process requires thorough study.
“That commitment is there, but we also have to take history into account. When the Pakatan Harapan government was toppled in 2020, the subsequent government had more than two years to draft this law, but that golden opportunity was not utilised,” he said.
He said the government has taken note of the Besut MP’s suggestions and stressed that the Parliamentary Special Select Committee (PSSC) is examining efforts to regulate political financing.
“This initiative is under the scrutiny of the PSSC, and the honourable Besut MP himself is a member of that committee. He is well aware that this effort is being carried out not only by the government, but by all parties involved,” he said.
According to him, the committee must take the initiative to expedite the effort, and the government remains committed to implementing it.
“The government is indeed committed - more than 100 percent,” he said.
20 sessions held
Earlier, Kulasegaran said 20 engagement sessions had been held with stakeholders, including 12 at the state level involving 1,544 participants from various backgrounds.
Findings from these engagement sessions, together with an ongoing public perception study, will be combined to form the policy parameters of the Political Financing Bill before it is brought to the next stage of consideration.
In February last year, MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki proposed to expedite the drafting of a Political Financing Act, with a focus on funding during election campaigns.
Azam was reported to have conveyed the proposal to Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Azalina Othman Said, who said such a law would be ideal to draft at this time, given that several elections are expected to be held in the near future.
The drafting of the bill aims to reduce the risk of corruption and abuse of power involving politicians in Malaysia, while enhancing the image of the government and the country. - Mkini
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