Political funding bill
Take a stand against corruption
THE Political Funding Bill, meant to regulate political funding in Malaysia, may still only be a conceptual twinkle in the eye — an as-yet-unrealised aspiration. But, that the cabinet on Wednesday agreed in principle to put it in place, hopefully before the next election, is nevertheless a significant milestone to have reached because it gets political parties to publicly acknowledge that corruption is bad, and that transparency and accountability are good. That this even needs saying implies that Malaysian politics is morally bankrupt. But, after two years of political horse-trading and three changes of government, the people are sick and tired of the perception of corrupt leaders. And as a number of political personalities stand trial for corruption or embezzlement, and the accounts of their alleged malfeasance are revealed, Malaysians cannot be faulted for feeling nauseated by this dismal state of affairs. But, that the allegedly ethically-bankrupt are facing trial is a sign that corruption is still unacceptable here. This must be kept up, so that those who would aspire to corruption will be in no doubt that we, as a society, see corruption as condemnable.
In a country where corruption is perceived to be systemic and politics is considered dirty, Malaysia needs this kind of law to spell out what is permitted and what is not. That the government has accepted this in principle shines a glimmer of hope that Malaysia is ready for a change in mindset. The intricacies of the bill have yet to be ironed out. But, a few things are essential if the spirit and intention of the law is to be carried. Primary among them should be that all donations and contributions should be declared — whether they come from the generous rich or the humble grassroots. And this declaration should be made not only to the Inland Revenue Board and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, but also disclosed to the public so that people are informed of the financial dealings of all political parties. And they must be mandatory. Political donations from foreign sources should be limited, and “introduction fees” banned outright.
The effect of these declarations will be far-reaching, for they will make it possible to trace links between the giver and the taker — and how the relationship proceeds and evolves. It will no longer be acceptable for politicians to say that anonymous people put money in their bank account. Voters should know which businesses, special interest groups and lobbyists back which politicians — even if they back more than one horse. This will make it easier to identify kickbacks post-election. But, the best of laws are those that are enforced. And this law, if or when it is enacted, must be applied equally to all, and not be used by whomever is in power to stymie the opposition. Because corruption and abuse of power by any politician degrades and debases the whole country. Voting carries little meaning if clean and ethical politicians are not voted in. Therefore, political parties must give voters something worthwhile to vote for. Not accepting any candidate who has been convicted for corruption, whether recently or in the distant past, would also be a good step to take. Certain political personalities may be corrupt; but, political parties must take a stand against corruption now, if they sincerely want to lead the country to a better future.
...Malaysia needs this kind of law to spell out what is permitted and what is not.