Bersih Govt Has No Excuse Enact Political Financing Act Now

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Bersih chairperson Faisal Aziz has reminded the government that it has the power and the numbers to urgently enact a Political Financing Act, given its control of a two-thirds majority in Parliament.
He was responding to Malaysiakini’s latest exposé, revealing more Sabah politicians implicated in the mining licence corruption scandal, which he said only appears to shock ordinary Malaysians.
“Those at the top - the political players - appear comfortable going about their days like it’s ‘business as usual’.
“Politicians love to talk about studying the Political Financing Act to appease the public, but where’s the action on implementing it?” Faisal said in a series of postings on X.
Bersih chairperson Faisal Aziz“No need for excuses about studying what ‘module’ to use just to avoid putting it into practice.
“This isn’t rocket science - the basic demand is clear: transparency in the receipt and spending of political funds to prevent further dishonest practices and misconduct by political players involving money,” he stressed.
More Sabah politicians implicated
The initial exposé implicated Sabah Chief Minister Hajiji Noor and several Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) lawmakers, prompting calls from civil society for greater commitment to combating corruption.
Malaysiakini yesterday reported that six more GRS politicians were allegedly involved in the mining scandal, purportedly involving nearly RM4 million.
In March, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Azalina Othman Said reportedly said the government may not be able to pass a law to regulate political financing before the 16th general election due by February 2027.
Minister in the PM’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Azalina Othman SaidAzalina, speaking at a policy engagement session on the drafting of the Political Financing Bill, said this was due to the need for thorough studies and input from various stakeholders, particularly the public.
Open up engagement sessions
However, Faisal insisted that every discussion involving the government and political parties must be conducted openly.
“So the people can see exactly who and which parties don’t actually want this Act to be enacted,” he said.
“The people are watching closely to see if Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration truly has the political conviction to eradicate corruption.
“Day by day, the people are growing more fed up with empty political slogans and hollow rhetoric,” he added.
The call also comes in the wake of a student-led anti-corruption rally in Kota Kinabalu last weekend, followed by the Himpunan Rakyat Benci Rasuah rally in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. - Mkini

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