Consultations on the proposed Political Donations and Expenditure Act (PDEA) will be completed by the end of the year, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Paul Low.

He said the cabinet has already discussed the draft bill, and his task now is to garner the support of political leaders for the legislation.

“The first step is that I’m trying and I’m going, hopefully, to meet and brief the Barisan (leaders) first, and hopefully later on, all the other political leaders to explain and to get their support.

“I hope by the end of the year, I should have completed everything.

“So it is ongoing, except that because it is such a major piece of legislation, it requires me to have a proper consultation with the political parties, because it affects them,” he told reporters when met in Petaling Jaya today.

The PDEA is one of 32 recommendations by the National Consultative Committee on Political Financing chaired by Low.

The committee targeted the 15th general election for the act’s full implementation.

Yesterday, Gagasan Sejahtera (comprising PAS and its ally Parti Ikatan Bangsa Malaysia) urged the government to table the PDEA in Parliament in its March session next year.

This is to ensure that it can be debated and passed into law in time for the 14th general election instead.