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Analysis: Can Politicians Remain 'Clean' After Accepting Funds?

Jul 11, 2018

We can soon expect a new law to regulate political funding in the country.

This is part of the new Pakatan Harapan government's efforts to stamp out graft and abuse of power. 

Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad says the plan is to formulate a law that will allow political parties to accept financial contributions, without them being implicitly obliged to later grant favours to the donors.

A special team led by the Governance, Integrity and Anti-Corruption Centre will be set up, to draft the legislation.

Now, Transparency International Malaysia says it fully supports the move for such a law. 

Its president Datuk Akhbar Satar revealed some of the areas that need to be covered, in order for politcal funding to stay 'clean'.

Source: Akhbar & Associates 

"Once you have the law, make sure that the funding that the political party receives has to be credited into the party account," he said.

"The other point that is important, is the account must be audited by a certified auditor."

"And lastly, the issue of integrity. Make sure that they do not break the law."

"As a politician, you are the one who enact the law, you invent the law, so how can you break the law?"  

Tun M says we will also study examples of what other countries are doing - like how Germany actually has an allocation to provide funding to all political parties.

Meanwhile, Tun M also said that from now on, the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister are considered members of the administration, and will have to declare their assets.

This, despite the High Court ruling last year, which had stated that the PM is not a public officer, and therefore not required to declare his assets. 

That judgement was made following an application by then-Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, to strike out a lawsuit against him for misfeasance in public office. 

Tun M, however, says this needs to be changed, to ensure that the premier and the deputy PM do not escape legal action, should they be found in possession of assets which they cannot explain.