PUTRAJAYA – The Political Funding Bill is expected to be tabled by the government for the first and second readings in Parliament in November.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said the National Centre for Governance, Integrity and Anti-Corruption (GIACC) has prepared the scope and policy parameters which have been outlined in the bill.
He said it has also been submitted to the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) to be scrutinised before it was finalised.
An engagement session, he said will be held with all government and opposition MPs on Sept 28 in Parliament to obtain views on the bill that was being drafted.
"The bill also takes into account the views of stakeholders through engagement sessions held with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) such as the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (Ideas), Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) and academic experts.
"At the same time, several internal discussions were also conducted with the relevant government departments and agencies to detail the drafting of the bill,” he said in a statement, today.
Recalling the initiative to introduce the law regulating political funds, Wan Junaidi said the government had mooted it in 2015 through the establishment of the National Consultative Committee on Political Funding (JKNMPP).
However, it was not implemented then.
The proposed legislative framework for the bill had also been submitted by the government in November 2019 to be tabled in the Special Select Committee, but this too was not achieved, he added.
"The government is confident and remains committed that the political funding law will be implemented this time,” he said.