All You Should Know About Najib’s New Committee To Develop Political Funding Laws

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The Bar Council said today that it would not be part of the committee to study the regulation of political funds, adding that it wants investigations into the RM2.6 billion found in Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's private accounts be completed first.

**Malaysian Bar president Steven Thiru said that the current focus should instead be on an independent and comprehensive investigation into the allegations against the prime minister.**

"The discourse on these new laws should await the completion of the ongoing investigation into the transfer of the funds. This is, in particular, because a donation is still within the definition of 'gratification' under the MACC Act 2009.

**"Indeed, the proposal to set up the committee will invariably be seen as an attempt to divert attention from the investigation, or to create a convenient distraction from the serious allegations of corruption as well as the ramifications of these allegations, if proven to be true."**

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Transparency International-Malaysia (TI-M) has welcomed the prime minister's plan to set up a committee to study the regulation of political funds, but its president Datuk Akhbar Satar said it wants to first monitor the development of the committee.

‎**"One of our 22 recommendations included making it mandatory for disclosure of all sources of financing and expenditure by the political parties. This is indeed a right direction and approach that should have been adopted some 5 years ago."**

"However, it is never too late to grasp the last straw before it breaks the camel's back," he said.