Consumers’ body urges govt to expedite establishment of M’sian Charities Commission

GEORGE TOWN: The Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) has urged the government to expedite the establishment of a Malaysian Charities Commission through dedicated legislation to regulate non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the country.

CAP president Mohideen Abdul Kader said the then-deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail had, in 2020, proposed the establishment of the commission.

According to him, currently there is no single comprehensive statute in Malaysia to regulate the NGOs, except for charities and charitable trusts and institutions outlined in the Ninth Schedule of the Federal Constitution

“The Ninth Schedule only states that Islamic charitable bodies are under the state list, but it does not provide for their administration and we call for the state administration to provide for an oversight body for Islamic charities.

“Over the years, numerous requests have been made to the public for funds to build mosques, tahfiz institutions, and various other charitable causes,” he said in a statement.

Mohideen said ensuring transparency and authenticity in fundraising was crucial in maintaining trust within the community and guaranteeing that donations would be utilised for their intended purpose.

He said that it was imperative for Malaysia to enact legislation that addresses matters such as the registration of charities, the administration and governance of charities, the regulation of charities and institutions of public character, as well as oversight of fundraising activities associated with charities and other institutions.

The establishment of such legislation would provide a structured framework for the operation and oversight of NGOs, ensuring accountability, transparency, and effective management of charitable endeavours and public institutions, he added.

Dr Wan Azizah was previously reported as saying that it was timely to form a charities commission to improve the efficiency, transparency and good governance of the social finance sector.

She had said that the establishment of such a commission would also prevent incidents of money donated to charitable causes not reaching their intended recipients. — Bernama