In a statement, the group of prominent retired civil servants said the public needed to read the recommendations made in the report in order for them to push for such reforms to be expedited.

As support for these changes grow, it would be easier for the government to fend off those who claim that such reforms were part of a Western and Jewish conspiracy to weaken the Malays and Islam, it said.

“The best way to deal with such negativity is to publish the IRC report for the public to see the recommendations for themselves.”

G25 said the committee had engaged civil societies, including itself, on strengthening the system of governance and the rule of law.

The group said its inputs presented to the IRC were based on four themes — parliamentary select committees; invigorating economic confidence in Malaysia; political financing; and the administration of matters pertaining to Islam in Malaysia.

G25 also noted that the political financing proposals by prominent anti-graft activist Edmund Terrence Gomez, which were presented in the IRC report, were done after consulting members from various business groups, political parties and civil societies.

“We also reached out for feedback for our proposals from political financing experts based in the US and Australia.”

Earlier this week, lawyer-activist Ambiga Sreenevasan called for the release of a 2018 report by the IRC, set up by the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government in 2018.

Ambiga said the committee made numerous recommendations on the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, Sedition Act, Security Offences (Special Measures) Act, police misconduct, the death penalty and other matters.

The former Bar Council president said these reforms need to be carried out urgently as the push for reforms could be derailed by another Sheraton Move-like manoeuvre, referring to political moves that led to the collapse of the PH government in 2020.