All You Should Know About Najib's New Committee To Develop Political Funding Laws
The committee has been formed to develop a plan to ensure transparency and governance over party funds.
By Tang Ruxyn — 17 Aug 2015, 03:07 PM
PM Najib Razak proposed a national consultative committee to formulate guidelines on political funding, with the aim of ensuring that funds are sourced with integrity. Here's what we know so far:
1. Paul Low is chairman while Idris Jala is the deputy chairman of the new committee
The committee will be headed by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Paul Low, whose cabinet portfolio is governance and integrity.
Another minister, Datuk Seri Idris Jala, is the committee’s deputy chairman, while its secretariat will be based at the Malaysian Institute for Integrity (IIM). Funding for the committee's work will come from the administration and integrity unit of the Prime Minister's Department.
themalaysianinsider.com
Representatives from political parties, community leaders, academicians, thought leaders, civil societies and even youths will be made members of the committee and will consider all aspects of political funding regulations, including institutional changes, monitoring, enforcement and new laws.
The committee will also act as adviser to the Government on issues related to political funding.
2. Guidelines will be implemented one year before the 14th General Election (GE14)
Low said that the regulation must be ready at least one year before the GE14.
He said they would work within the one-year time frame as there were other due processes to follow after coming up with the recommendations, so that the legislation can be ready in time for the 14th general election.
This includes taking the proposal to the Cabinet for approval and then proceeding to the drafting stage of the law.
The draft enactment would then need to go through another round of consultation with stakeholders before it is taken to Parliament.
themalaysianinsider.com
3. The Bar Council and Transparency International-Malaysia (TI-M) to be included in the committee
The Bar Council and Transparency International-Malaysia (TI-M) are among the groups that will be part of the committee to study the regulation of political funds, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Datuk Paul Low.
Low, the minister in charge of governance and integrity tasked with heading the committee and selecting its members, said it will be apolitical, and will include those with strong knowledge on subject of political funding.
themalaysianinsider.com
4. TI-M welcomed the idea the but Bar Council has declined to be a part of the committee
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."
themalaysianinsider.com
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.
themalaysianinsider.com
5. MACC also expressed their support for the proposal
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) said it was willing to provide inputs and views for the action plan and hoped the action plan could be implemented as soon as possible to enhance the confidence of members of political parties, the people and also the future generation.
The announcement on the setting up of JKNMPP, it said, was in line with a suggestion which the commission had made since its establishment in 2009.
6. However, a MACC panel member has criticised the political funding reform as untimely
Lim Chee Wee, the Operations Review Panel member of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), said ordinarily such an announcement would be applauded.
"But extraordinarily, given the circumstances leading to Najib's announcement it is seen by a large majority of Malaysians as an insincere move to distract in a disingenuous manner the perceived wrong of the alleged donation," he said.
Lim, a former Malaysian Bar president, said the critical action should be disclosure by Najib to both law enforcement and the public of the sources of funds and expenditure.
"The people are cynical and the explanation beggars belief," he added.
themalaysianinsider.com
7. Najib has advocated the idea since 2009 but claims the opposition had rejected the proposal
He also said the decision to set up the committee was not to quell concerns over the RM2.6bil political donation he had allegedly received, pointing out that he had proposed it six years ago.
“I have in fact mooted this idea since 2009 and it is on record,” Najib said.
“I have mentioned this openly several times but it has never received support."
“We hope the idea will now be supported by all parties."
The prime minister said although the plan was rejected by the opposition pact when it was proposed in 2009, he still hoped that all quarters would give their support to the JKNMPP as its establishment was not politically-motivated.
bernama.com
8. But members of the Opposition have come out to deny that the Opposition had objected to a proposal for more transparent political financing made in 2009
PKR vice-presidents Tian Chua and Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin said the party was open to measures to increase transparency and integrity of political funding, but were not supportive of Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s National Consultative Committee on Political Funding (JKNMPP).
PAS’ Pokok Sena Member of Parliament Datuk Mahfuz Omar sang the same tune, saying that the Opposition was always ready to discuss any matters regarding national policies.
Both Tian Chua and Shamsul denied Najib’s statement that the Opposition had objected to a proposal for more transparent political financing made in 2009.
They said they were never approached or made aware of such plans.
therakyatpost.com
9. Serdang MP also defended that DAP had never been consulted about the proposal, and had gone on Twitter to argue with Idris Jala about political funding matters
DAP’s Ong Kian Ming accused Senator Datuk Seri Idris Jala of attempting to mislead Malaysians on the war against corruption by claiming the opposition were reluctant to buy into the Barisan Nasional (BN) government’s push for a political financing law.
The opposition MP insisted that his party had never been consulted nor asked by any agency for support on any political financing legislation, contrary to the recent allegation by the minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of government reforms.
themalaymailonline.com
Ong Kian Ming and Idris Jala, had gone on social networking platform Twitter to argue over which side should be the first to disclose the sources of their political funding
“So far no parties have done it. In the last five years, the problem is that political parties are waiting for others to do it before they do it,” Idris Jala said.
He appeared to have lost his cool after a lengthy argument with Ong and later tweeted him, saying: “I’m asking you NOW. Get DAP to do it voluntarily NOW!"
therakyatpost.com