PETALING JAYA: Bersih has stated that the planned Political Financing Act should incorporate public funding in order to reduce the reliance of political parties on large corporate donors. The election watchdog group explained that this would not only regulate the means by which parties obtain their finances, but also provide public funding based on their vote share from the previous election. Bersih also mentioned the necessity of a designated fund for political parties to enhance women’s participation in elections and representation in the Dewan Rakyat.
The steering committee of Bersih released a statement on Tuesday (Sept 19) saying, “With this (public funding) component, we want to minimise parties’ dependency on large corporate donors who may try to influence government policies or have unfair access to government contracts.” This statement followed the announcement made by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform), Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, on Monday (Sept 18) regarding the Cabinet’s approval of the enactment.
Bersih expressed their belief that the proposed law has been excessively postponed and it is time to present it. They stated, “Now is the time for our nation to move one step forward to reform our political system.” It was also remarked by Bersih that during her speech at the Dewan Rakyat on Monday, Azalina mentioned that the Cabinet had referred seven policy parameters to the Parliamentary Special Select Committee (PSSC) on Human Rights, Election, and Institutional Reform for their consideration.
Bersih added, “The seven policy considerations are welcomed but we hope that the Legal Affairs Division and/or the PSSC for Human Rights, Elections, and Institutional Reform, will actively engage with all stakeholders before the Bill is tabled to Parliament, especially civil society organisations who have been actively campaigning and proposing details for a robust Political Financing Act.”
Credit: The Star : News Feed
