MP: Give allocation to political parties to eliminate corruption

 

A PKR lawmaker has mooted a political funding bill in which the government provides allocations to political parties for their operations and election campaigns.

Bayan Baru MP Sim Tze Tzin said this would be able to get rid of corruption in politics and he hopes it will be implemented before the 15th general election (GE15).

“This bill is to give government allocation to political parties to handle party operations and run electoral campaigns.

“The bill is meant to cut off political bribery from the private sector which has become widespread.

“This proposal is expected to be able to clean up the country’s politics,” Sim (above) said in a press conference in Parliament today.

He said the allocation should be given following a specific formula and that it should be a moderate amount that will not affect the country’s finances.

The National Audit Department should be in charge of auditing all the parties’ spending in a strict and transparent manner, he said, as the parties would be using government allocation.

Sim pointed to the various recent corruption cases involving “political contributions” from a private company to political figures, including Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd (UKSB), in which more than 10 prominent politicians have been implicated.

Other examples he provided were cases involving former Umno minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor and Aset Kayamas Sdn Bhd, former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak’s wife Rosmah Mansor and Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd as well as former Sabah chief minister Musa Aman.

“These cases which were successfully brought to court are only the tip of the iceberg. There are many more cases which have not been exposed,” Sim said.

Such cases have eroded the public’s trust in the country’s leaders, he said, as it appears as if politicians can be bought with “illicit money” by private companies who are willing to “donate”.

Germany has similar act

Meanwhile, he said, it is the government and the people who have to suffer the consequences as contracts are given to cronies.

As such, he believes a political funding act where the government provides allocations to political parties would be able to restore the people’s confidence in their leaders.

Germany already has a similar act, he said, which has been proven to be successful at stopping corruption and political scandals.

It is not impossible for Malaysia to follow in their footsteps, Sim said, as we managed to pass an anti-party-hopping law via a constitutional amendment in Parliament last week.

“This shows that if the rakyat wants change, change is possible,” he said.

BN also previously expressed its hope for a political funding bill to be tabled at least for a first reading in Parliament before GE15.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament & Law) Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar had said the government is taking steps to formulate a Political Financing Act.

However, he said it is still early days for any political financing bill as the study and engagement sessions for the draft bill had yet to begin.

Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob had also said he hoped to implement other reforms following the passing of the anti-hopping law, including a political financing bill. - Mkini