MACC head Azam Baki said the country had no specific law on political funding, but the Governance, Integrity and Anti-Corruption Centre (GIACC) was drafting a law on it to be tabled to the Special Committee on Corruption.
“The GIACC has completed the draft of the law on political funding in which I am also involved.
“Among others, there will be a need for political parties to report and declare funds they receive from any organisation or individual.
“Also, there is a proposal to set up a regulator or comptroller to regulate such contributions,” he said in a special interview with the media in conjunction with MACC’s 54th anniversary celebration yesterday.
Azam said it was time for politicians to agree on the implementation of the law, adding that they must also discuss if there was a need to control political funds for elections like in the US, which allows it as long as parties declare and identify the donors.
He said politicians should support the law to prove they are clean and free of corruption or power abuse, while at the same time showing the people that the leadership is transparent and practises integrity.
He said presently it was difficult for the MACC to differentiate between political funds and bribery, but investigations would have to be conducted when it receives a report on any politician receiving funds, adding that it will be classified as a corruption case.
In October 2019, then minister in the prime minister’s department Liew Vui Keong said the government would table the Political Funding Bill which would focus on the regulatory aspect of political contributions.
The late minister had said this was fundamental in efforts to eliminate corruption and create a corruption-free ecosystem among future generations based on the principles of transparency, accountability and integrity.
Meanwhile, on the proposal to establish the Anti-Corruption Services Commission, Azam said the matter had been submitted to the Special Committee on Corruption to make the agency a more independent body.
“When we have our own service commission, we can decide on the recruitment and termination of staff and officers,” he said, adding that currently MACC is under the supervision of the Public Service Commission.