Lobby groups or those from companies intending to make contributions or finance any political party or business entity should register themselves with the Registrar of Societies (ROS) to avoid misappropriation of funds by middlemen, an official here said.

Hisham Nordin, who heads the National Key Result Area (NKRA) on combating corruption, said without the registration, the government and related agencies were unable to monitor the movement of funds and the activities of these groups.

This resulted in money not reaching the intended recipients, he said in an interview with Bernama Radio 24 in the "Kerusi Panas" (hot seat) programme.

"The move will enable the government to monitor these groups and address the problems of 'unofficial' lobbyists," he said.

He added that it was these unofficial lobby groups who created bad impression about the country in the eyes of foreigners resulting in them claiming that they had to offer bribes to third parties to secure projects.

"This puts a dent in the country's image because foreigners see us as not doing enough to eradicate corruption," he said.

To a question whether the registration would be seen as condoning corruption, Hisham said lobby groups cannot be labelled as givers or takers of corruption because corruption only involves those who had the power to make decisions.

Registered lobby groups would be monitored and gauged, he added.

"We will look into these companies whether they are qualified to be lobbyists ... in terms of their paid-up capitals, members of the board of directors and other elements.

"We can't allow a RM2 company to become a lobbyist," he said, adding that the move was modelled after the practice in developed countries like the United States, Australia and South Korea, and following discussions with Transparency International (TI).

"Although we take some ideas from them, we too are praised for our own initiatives. The MACC (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission) has been praised for being steadfast in its quest to tackle corruption," he said.

- Bernama