Putrajaya's decision to delay a new law on political financing has cast doubts on the integrity of the very minister who proposed it - integrity, governance and human rights minister Paul Low - said Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng.
Lim pointed out that Low had said the bill was supposed to be tabled in 2016 but the minister now said that it would only be ready in time for the 15th general election.
Low's failure to deliver as member of the executive, despite not being an elected lawmaker, warranted a public explanation.
"The people have the right to know what his (Low's) achievements and contributions are since he was appointed minister in 2013.
"Would the 'Integrity Minister' not feel ashamed if he is unable to assure the people that his appointment has been beneficial to the rakyat?" asked Lim in a statement today.
Low's claim that the law can only be ready in time for the 15th general election was also indicative of the minister's knowledge of when the 14th general election would be held, argued Lim.
"It begs the question of whether Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has informed Low of when the 14th general elections would be held.
"If not, why is Low so confident that the law won't make it in time for the 14th general elections?" asked Lim.
Low told the press, at the sidelines of an international conference on democracy and elections on Saturday, that Putrajaya needed more time to work on the proposed Political Donations and Expenditure Act (PDEA).
The PDEA is one of 32 recommendations by the National Consultative Committee on Political Financing chaired by Low in 2015.
The committee was established following revelations that Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak had received US$681 million in his accounts just prior to the 2013 elections.
PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, who has met Low before to discuss integrity issues surrounding political financing, was aghast by the delay and urged Putrajaya to rush the bill. -Mkini
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