Fed up with politicking over funds, Bersih wants elected reps’ role on CDF formalised

Bersih has called for the formalisation of a constituency development fund (CDF) as part of each elected representative’s role to help voters obtain financial aid in light of actions by the federal and state governments in withholding allocations from opposition representatives.

Calling the practice by both sides of the political divide - by the Perikatan Nasional (PN) and Pakatan Harapan coalitions - “unethical and dishonourable” the election reform group said the CDF system would allow locals to “by-pass red tapes and get financial support”.

“Especially when local authorities in Malaysia are unelected since 1965 and often unresponsive to public needs,” said its steering committee in a statement today.

However, it said it was aware of the “pitfalls” of the CDF and thus said such a system must include rigorous guidelines as well as monitoring and auditing to prevent abuse and the reinforcement of a “patronage-clientele relationship” between elected representatives and voters.

CDFs are a funding system that channels money from the ruling or federal government directly to electoral constituencies for local projects. However, the arrangement usually calls for a greater role by elected representatives in deciding on the distribution and allocation of said funds.

“Bersih repeats its call for all governing coalition/parties – PN at the federal level and three states, Harapan in four states, BN in two states, PAS in two states, GPS in Sarawak and Warisan-Harapan in Sabah – to ditch the practice of discriminating the opposition in constituency allocation and turning the public fund into partisan favour.

“Such unscrupulous, unethical and dishonourable practice is not only a betrayal of the electorate but also a hangover from BN’s one-party state mentality, in which politicians from government parties treat public funding as party property.

“[...]Until a better alternative emerges, Bersih calls for administration of CDF be formalised as part of the job for elected representatives, with rigorous guidelines, monitoring and auditing to prevent abuse, wastage and corruption. This will allow all voters to request funding without feeling personal obligation to the representatives,” the Bersih steering committee said.

The statement came following the announcement by the Harapan-led Selangor government on Monday that the RM30,000 special Covid-19 allocation announced in the state economic stimulus package last week would not be given directly to opposition assemblypersons.

Instead, allocation going to opposition-held constituencies is to be managed by “constituency coordinators” appointed by the state government. It maintained this was not a new practice.

Deeming the explanation as “lame”, Bersih said such practice was an admission of “institutionalised clientelism”, turning voters into clients of politicians.

It added that Bersih is prepared to meet the Harapan leadership, at the federal or state level, to assist in CDF reform.

Even so, the Selangor announcement came in the wake of claims by several parliamentarians aligned with Harapan that their allocations for servicing their constituencies have been pulled by the ruling PN government.

As such, Bersih also called upon PN opposition representatives in Selangor to urge the federal government and PN-led state governments to treat the opposition well with the CDF.

“If they approve the same practice by their own parties, crying foul on Selangor’s discrimination will only make them shameless hypocrites,” said Bersih.

S'gor: Covid-19 funds go to Harapan coordinators in opposition seats, not reps

Bersih: Should voters in opposition constituencies withhold taxes?

Pro-Harapan MPs claim annual allocations pulled

Muhyiddin: Stop playing politics when lives are at stake