KUALA LUMPUR: The government is currently carrying out a comprehensive public perception study on the proposed Political Financing bill, which is scheduled to conclude in December, says Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.
The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) said the study is being led by a research team comprising academics from various public universities, headed by a researcher from the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), together with representatives from NGOs and civil society groups.
This study will run for four months and is expected to finish in December 2025,” she said in a parliamentary written reply on Wednesday (Nov 19).
Azalina added that the bill’s policy parameters were still being refined and would first be referred to the relevant Parliamentary Special Select Committee (PSSC) for consideration.
The minister stressed that the government’s approach in drafting the bill - through the Legal Affairs Division (BHEUU) of the Prime Minister’s Department - was centred on extensive grassroots engagement.
“A total of 18 engagement sessions have been held involving not only cooperation between the federal and state governments, but also the participation of political parties, village development and security committees (JPKK and JPKKP), chambers of commerce, business associations, NGOs, academics and youth groups,” she said.
Of these, she said eight sessions were conducted at the state level, including in Sabah, Kelantan, Terengganu, Negri Sembilan, Melaka, Kedah, Perlis, Penang, Perak and most recently Selangor on Nov 13.
“These state-level sessions will continue nationwide to obtain views and input directly from the grassroots,” she said, adding that feedback so far has touched on matters such as public funding for political parties, disclosure of party financial reports, contribution limits and rules governing eligible and prohibited donors.
Azalina reaffirmed the government’s commitment to introducing a dedicated political financing law, which is outlined under the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS) 2024–2028.
She said work on the bill began under the former Governance, Integrity and Anti-Corruption Centre (GIACC), which had studied comparative models in the United Kingdom and held engagements with agencies such as the UK Electoral Commission, Transparency International and the Joint Anti-Corruption Unit (JACU).
GIACC also conducted two stakeholder engagement sessions in September 2022, she added.
“The BHEUU took over the drafting process in May 2023,” she said, adding that on Sept 8, 2023, the government agreed that the bill’s policy scope be referred to the PSSC on Human Rights, Elections and Institutional Reform.
Azalina said the committee has held three meetings to review and scrutinise the proposed policy parameters, with the most recent on Aug 21, 2024, where members discussed the government’s draft alongside alternative proposals from external stakeholders.
“These proposals include limits on individual or political party contributions and provisions on public funding for political parties,” she said.
On Feb 12 this year, she also chaired a meeting involving the committee, the All-Party Parliamentary Group Malaysia (APPGM) on Political Financing, APPGM on Integrity and Anti-Corruption, and relevant ministries and agencies.
“The meeting examined the direction and feasibility of the Political Financing bill, taking into account the views of all members,” she said.
While the committee has submitted recommendations, she added that further state-level engagements are still necessary to ensure the policy framework is comprehensive and inclusive.
Azalina did not specify when the bill would be tabled, but assured that the government was taking steady steps to ensure the reforms are not delayed further.
“The government remains committed to ensuring this law is well-designed, practical and reflective of the people’s expectations,” she said.
