THE Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (Ideas) and the undersigned organisations applaud Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman’s announcement that legal reforms and the setup of parliamentary special select committees (PSSCs) on various topics, including the political funding bill, will be expedited.
The minister said the PSSCs will be used as a platform to engage MPs on the political funding bill. We are encouraged by the government’s intention to ensure cross-partisan support for proposed reforms and that the PSSCs will consider opinions and insights from the public and civil society groups.
Genuine participation from the public and civil society groups will ensure comprehensive and feasible policies. Therefore, we look forward to being involved in various meetings of the political funding PSSC as well as several other PSSCs.
We are pleased with the government’s commitment to establish the PSSCs given the absence of any indication on political financing reforms.
With a PSSC set in place, the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) on political financing can resume its efforts to push for legislation on political financing.
We strongly urge the government to establish a functional PSSC that will expedite the political funding bill without further delays, as was the case last year.
Together with other civil society groups involved and Ideas as the secretariat of the APPG on political financing, we have previously submitted a private member’s bill on political financing.
The bill underscores the importance of public funding and an independent commission – two critical elements necessary for transparency and to level the playing field among political parties.
We strongly urge the relevant PSSCs to take the private member’s bill as a point of reference in drafting their political funding bill, as it provides valuable insights that could contribute to the development of a comprehensive and effective political financing legislation. – The Vibes, March 9, 2023
Ideas is a nonprofit research institute dedicated to promoting solutions to public policy challenges.
Issued by:
Ideas – Secretariat of the recently dissolved APPG on Political Financing
Endorsing organisations:
Agora Society
Bait Al Amanah
Bersih
C4 Centre
Engage Network
Transparency International Malaysia
Rasuah Busters
Endorsing individuals:
Andrew Khoo
Maha Balakrishnan
Terence Gomez
