Political will lacking on both sides for funding bill, says Gan

The proposed political funding bill has not gone through despite years of discussion due to a lack of political will on both sides of the divide, said Centre For A Better Tomorrow (Cenbet) co-president Gan Ping Sieu.

Gan (above), who was part of the National Consultative Committee on Political Financing when Najib Abdul Razak was the prime minister, noted that Malaysians were told that plans for a political funding law were underway for years but nothing has materialised.

“The governments of the day, and the oppositions of the day – yes, plural as we have had changes in the corridor of power – have all promised us that. Yet, to this day, the political funding bill has yet to be tabled in Parliament.

“What does this show? I am going to call a spade a spade. Very obviously, there is a lack of political will to implement this on both sides of the political divide,” he said in a statement.

Gan said the National Consultative Committee on Political Financing had already submitted its findings on the proposed Political Donations and Expenditure Act (PDEA) in 2016.

“If you recall, this committee was chaired by then minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Paul Low Seng Kuan. 

“I remember this vividly as I was a member of that committee, which included many distinguished ladies and gentlemen such as Mustafar Ali, Johan Jaaffar, Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman, Wan Saiful Wan Jan and Syed Saddiq Syed Rahman.

“The draft of the act was then completed in 2017, as correctly pointed out by Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan recently,” he said.

‘Self-serving’ delays

Gan stressed the need to have a transparent political funding system to mitigate elements of money laundering, foreign interference and security risks.

“If we go by standards in developed democracies, proper guidelines on political contributions need to be drawn up, especially public disclosure on sources and how the money is used,” he said.

Gan said political donation is a gift and not against the law per se but becomes illegal when it involves abuse of power or conflict of interest.

“All sectors involving money in the country are regulated, except for political donation. 

“Hence, I am of the view that all reasons objecting and delaying the introduction of this act are ‘self-serving’. No one is above the law, even lawmakers.

“It is with utmost urgency that we stop delaying this bill from being tabled and passed in Parliament, especially with the 15th general election around the corner,” he said.

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