KUALA LUMPUR - The Cabinet has established seven key considerations for the policy framework related to the Political Financing Bill, including the creation of new laws to regulate political contributions.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Dr Azalina Othman Said stated that the second consideration is the role of oversight carried out by a federal statutory body as an independent and impartial entity.
"The third consideration is to allow political contribution oversight to be conducted at all times and not just limited to election periods.
"Another consideration is to regulate political contributions received by political parties, political party members, election candidates (including independent candidates), and election agents," she said during the wrapping-up session of the Mid-Term Review of the 12th Malaysia Plan (RMK12) at a special sitting of the Dewan Rakyat today.
Azalina also mentioned that another consideration is to disallow political contributions in any form from foreign entities.
"Additionally, the consideration is to establish regulations regarding the allowed amount of contributions, which must be declared by parties of individual political members.
"Seventh, for political contributions received by political parties, political members, or independent election candidates, contributions should be placed in a special account established solely for political contributions," she said.
She added that the Cabinet had agreed for the policy scope of the Political Financing Bill to be referred to the Special Committee on Human Rights, Elections, and Institutional Reform in the Dewan Rakyat on Sept 8.
She said the matter was then referred to the Dewan Rakyat Speaker, Tan Sri Johari Abdul, on Sept 13 for his consideration.