PKR Pandan parliamentarian Rafizi Ramli said the government is way off the mark when it supported proposed laws on political financing to help curb political corruption.

"I do not agree with the proposals as it does not have the checks and balances method that is most effective in stopping political corruption, which is compulsory asset declaration enforced by law," said Rafizi in a statement.

He was commenting on the 32-point recommendation by the national consultative council on political funding chaired by federal minister Paul Low, which focused on reforming political funding.

Instead of a political financing law, Rafizi proposed that a law be enacted to require compulsory asset declaration instead.

Such a law, said Rafizi, would require all those who stand in any election at state or federal level to itemise and declare all their assets.

"Failure to do so would put them in breach of election laws and disqualify them from contesting," he said.

He argued that the asset declaration rule must also be binding on all elected representatives as well as high ranking government officials, requiring them to declare their assets, as well as material changes in ownership and valuation year to year.

He also called for an itemised declaration which should include the declarations by the spouses and children of those concerned.

Free MACC from executive

On the enforcement side, Rafizi also wants the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to be truly divorced from the executive and political interference.

He proposed a separate service commission for the agency so that its hiring and firing is not decided by the executive as is the case at present.

He also called for the MACC's chief commissioner to be given constitutional protection to prevent him from being removed from office by the executive.

Rafizi also proposed that powers to prosecute corruption cases be vested in the MACC's chief of prosecution, instead of having to submit each case to the attorney-general.

He argued all these measures proposed would do more to fight political corruption than any political funding law.

However, Wan Saiful Wan Jan, who sat on the committee Low chaired and helped come up with the proposals, urged all to embrace the political funding reforms.

The chief executive officer of the Institute of Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) said he understood the furor given the significant changes it mooted.

"Before this, there were no rules regarding disclosure. The report now puts great emphasis on disclosure and transparency," he said.

He also noted that under the proposal, should political parties or politicians refuse to disclose, their refusal will automatically be treated as corrupt practice or gratification under the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009.

"This is a major step forward to strengthen our democracy," he said.

But he reminded all that it would take time before all the recommendations are implemented, perhaps as far as until GE15.