A new coalition of NGOs will lobby all political parties to adopt a good governance agenda as well as to enact an asset declaration law.

Primarily, it wants political parties to pledge that they will enact laws to affirm the independence of government institutions, especially the MACC and Attorney-General's Chambers.

The coalition - known as the Governance, Integrity, Accountability and Transparency Coalition (Giat) - described the MACC as the most crucial institution in need urgent reforms.

Giat said pledge signers must be committed to removing the prime minister's power to appoint or remove the MACC chief to ensure the commission's independence.

This role, said Giat, should be undertaken by a new commission that is independent of the executive.

"This commission should be given its own hiring and firing power and it should consist of at least 40 percent from civil society and professional bodies," it said.

This was the first of five principles which Giat will attempt to lobby political parties to adopt in their agenda for the upcoming general election.

The other four principles are:

  • A commitment to enact freedom of information laws;
     
  • Public asset declaration of all cabinet members, lawmakers and elected officials;
     
  • Improving participatory democracy at all levels of government, including budgeting processes and holding local council elections; and,
     
  • Enacting political financing laws.

Giat said it was timely for a law on asset declaration because of the numerous corruption scandals uncovered by the MACC of late.

The present system - in which top government officials declare their assets only to the prime minister - has proven ineffective, said Giat.

Giat, formed in 2014, comprises of the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (Ideas), Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4), Sinar Project, Transparency International-Malaysia, Friends of Kota Damansara, MyPJ and The Society for the Protection of Human Rights (Proham).