MACC: Political Financing Bill should set clear penalties, ensure independent enforcement

The Political Financing Bill in Malaysia should define clear penalties for political parties that breach contribution limits or fail to report funding, alongside establishing an independent regulatory body, potentially the Election Commission (EC) or Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), to ensure proper enforcement.

Mohd Gunawan Che Ab Aziz emphasized five governance principles—transparency, accountability, equity and fairness, independence, and inclusiveness and participation—that should guide the Bill's drafting.

The law aims to ensure fair competition among political parties and enhance democratic participation, while addressing gaps in existing legislation to boost public trust and Malaysia's international standing.

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 8 — The Political Financing Bill should set clear penalties for political parties that breach contribution limits or fail to report their funding, while also establishing an independent regulatory body to ensure the law is effectively enforced.

Deputy director of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) National Governance Planning Division Mohd Gunawan Che Ab Aziz said the matter is among five key governance principles to consider when drafting the Bill.

He said the five principles comprised transparency, accountability, equity and fairness, independence, and inclusiveness and participation.

“Under the principle of accountability, there should be clear penalties for breaching contribution limits or failing to report funding, as well as, of course, a responsible regulatory body.

“The regulatory body has yet to be decided. There have been suggestions that the role could be given to the Election Commission (EC), the MACC, or a newly established special commission,” he said.

He said this while speaking as a panellist at the Political Financing Reform Forum: Balancing Transparency, Accountability and Democratic Participation, organised by the Legal Affairs Division (BHEUU) of the Prime Minister’s Department, here today.

Mohd Gunawan said the matter is still open to further review, with BHEUU to determine the most suitable proposal before bringing it to Parliament.

On the principle of equity and fairness, he said contribution limits and conditional public funding are important to ensure that political parties, whether small or large, compete on a more transparent, level playing field while strengthening democracy.

Meanwhile, he said the regulatory body must be independent and free from interference by any party, including the ruling party or external interests.

“This regulatory body has a significant responsibility to ensure that the law is properly and effectively enforced,” he said.

On the principle of inclusiveness and participation, Mohd Gunawan said the law-drafting process should provide the widest possible opportunity for civil society, stakeholders and political parties to give their views.

He said political parties are among the most important stakeholders in implementing the law and should be involved in developing comprehensive legislation that reflects its intended purpose.

“We need to ensure that this does not restrict democracy itself, but instead helps to strengthen democratic participation in a democratic country,” he said.

Mohd Gunawan said the Political Financing Bill is also needed to close gaps in existing laws, including the Societies Act 1966 and the Election Offences Act 1954.

He said greater transparency in political financing is expected to increase public trust in the country’s system and governance, as well as strengthen Malaysia’s standing internationally. — Bernama

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马来西亚的政治筹资法案应明确规定对违反捐款限额或未报告资金来源的政党的处罚，同时设立独立的监管机构，例如选举委员会（EC）或马来西亚反贪污委员会（MACC），以确保有效执行。

莫哈末·古纳万·切·阿卜·阿齐兹强调了五项治理原则——透明度、问责制、公平公正、独立性以及包容性和参与性——这些原则应该指导法案的起草。

该法律旨在确保各政党之间的公平竞争，增强民主参与，同时弥补现有法律的不足，以提升公众信任度和马来西亚的国际地位。

吉隆坡，9月8日讯——《政治筹资法案》应明确规定对违反捐款限额或未申报资金来源的政党处以的处罚，同时设立独立的监管机构，以确保该法律得到有效执行。

马来西亚反贪污委员会（MACC）国家治理规划司副司长莫哈末·古纳万·切·阿卜·阿齐兹表示，此事是起草该法案时需要考虑的五项关键治理原则之一。

他表示，这五项原则包括透明度、问责制、公平公正、独立性以及包容性和参与性。

“根据问责原则，对于违反缴款限额或未报告资金的情况，应该有明确的处罚，当然，也应该有一个负责任的监管机构。

他说：“监管机构尚未确定。有人建议，这项职责可以交给选举委员会、反贪污委员会或新成立的特别委员会。”

他今天在总理府法律事务司 (BHEUU) 主办的“政治筹资改革论坛：平衡透明度、问责制和民主参与”上作为小组成员发表了上述讲话。

莫哈末·古纳万表示，此事仍有待进一步审查，BHEUU 将确定最合适的提案，然后再提交国会。

他表示，基于公平公正的原则，捐款限额和有条件的公共资金对于确保政党，无论大小，都能在更加透明、公平的竞争环境中竞争，同时加强民主至关重要。

与此同时，他表示，监管机构必须保持独立，不受任何一方的干预，包括执政党或外部利益集团。

他说：“这个监管机构肩负着确保法律得到正确有效执行的重大责任。”

莫哈末·古纳万表示，本着包容和参与的原则，法律起草过程应为民间社会、利益相关者和政党提供尽可能广泛的机会来表达他们的意见。

他表示，政党是实施该法律最重要的利益相关者之一，应该参与制定体现该法律预期目的的全面立法。

他说：“我们需要确保这不会限制民主本身，而是有助于加强民主国家的民主参与。”

莫哈末·古纳万表示，《政治融资法案》也是为了弥补现有法律的漏洞，包括 1966 年《社团法》和 1954 年《选举犯罪法》。

他表示，提高政治资金透明度有望增强公众对国家体制和治理的信任，并提升马来西亚的国际地位。——马新社

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