Take steps to regulate political funding, parties told

NATIONAL Consultative Committee on Political Funding deputy chairman Datuk Seri Idris Jala says if political parties are against corruption, they should take steps to regulate political funding now without waiting for a law to be put in place.

The issue of RM2.6 billion political donation has created a lot of hoo-ha not so long ago.

“If I were the opposition leader, I would immediately declare (transparency) in managing political funding, without waiting for the law (on political funding to be drafted and passed). From today, all donations will go into the party’s account and receipts issued. What is so difficult?

“If I were the Barisan Nasional (BN) chief, I would also do the same,” Idris was quoted by Sin Chew Daily as saying in a report yesterday.

Idris, the chief executive officer of Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu) in the Prime Minister’s Department, said politicians should know that the people want to see political reform.

If the BN or opposition coalition cannot implement it now, along with all its component parties, individual parties can take the lead, he said. He said Pemandu had already proposed for the regulation of political funding back in 2010.

He said Pemandu had then recommended that: All political donations go into the party’s account and not any individual’s; Receipts be issued for all donations; All donations be made public and audited. “Everyone at the time said ‘I’d do it if the other side does the same.’ If the recommendations were accepted then, there would not have been any issue now.”