Fresh Cabinet Approval Needed For Political Financing Bill Says Azalina

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The political financing bill will be referred to a parliamentary special select committee so that all MPs can provide their input, said law and institutional reform minister Azalina Othman Said.PETALING JAYA: The political financing bill will be resubmitted to the Cabinet for a fresh approval, said law and institutional reform minister Azalina Othman Said.
“The government is committed to rid of corruption and money politics. Therefore, the political financing bill needs to be resubmitted to Cabinet for a fresh approval,” she said in a written parliamentary reply yesterday.
Azalina said engagements with political parties and stakeholders must proceed to ensure the law enacted on political financing is inclusive and comprehensive.
“Thus, the political financing bill will be proposed to be referred to a parliamentary special select committee (PSC) so that all MPs can provide their views and proposals to ensure all important aspects on the matter are taken into account,” she said.
She also said the government will also take into consideration the practices and existing legal provisions applicable to political financing.
This includes provisions under the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009, the Elections Offences Act 1954, the Societies Act 1966, and the Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (AMLATFPUAA).
She was responding to a question from Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman (Muda-Muar) on the steps taken by the government to enact the law on political financing.
On Tuesday, Azalina was reported as saying the law governing political financing should have been introduced before the last general election (GE15).
She said it should have been formulated at the same time as the anti-hopping law, which came into effect on Oct 5, five days before Parliament was dissolved.
“We need political financing laws during election time,” she was quoted as saying, adding that such laws were on Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s radar.
However, she said, her focus now was to amend the bankruptcy law as bankruptcy was “an immediate problem affecting many”. - FMT

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