“I will chair this meeting to gather the views and position from all parties regarding the proposed legislation and to deliberate on fundamental concerns that have arisen,” she said in a written parliamentary reply.

Azalina was responding to a question from Shafie Apdal (Warisan-Semporna), who asked whether the government planned to amend the Federal Constitution to strengthen the anti-hopping law and introduce political financing regulations before the 16th general election.

She said the government currently has no plans to amend constitutional provisions related to the anti-hopping law but remains open to further discussions with both ruling and opposition parties.

However, she noted that there is currently no law regulating political donations in Malaysia, with existing provisions under the Election Offences Act 1954 (Act 5) only monitoring election candidates’ expenses, not party funding.

“The Societies Act 1966 (Act 832) only requires political parties to submit financial statements to the Registrar of Societies.”

Azalina stressed that the proposed political funding law is crucial to curb corruption and abuse of power among politicians, which will ultimately improve the image of the government and country.

The government, she said, held a series of meetings from 2023 to 2024, including one with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and the finance ministry, to explore proposals on political donations and public funding for parties.

Azalina said the government would also seek views from opposition parties and institutions like universities.

“This includes a comprehensive study on party positions and public perspectives to ensure that any legislation truly reflects the needs of the people.”