MACC should take part in monitoring political funding activities

SHAH ALAM - Political funding activities should be monitored by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to prevent it from being further misused by some politicians for their personal gains.

Bersih 2.0 chairman Thomas Fann said the anti-graft agency needed to play a role before the Political Funding Act is introduced by the government.

"The MACC or relevant bodies should ensure that issues involving political funding came from "clean" sources," he told Sinar Harian.

He said politicians were likely to get as much funding as possible from inside and outside the country.

"They could ask for "donations" from any party, but it certainly would raise questions of whether these funds were obtained legally or connected to an organised crime or personal interests that would lead to corruption," he said.

He added that the MACC did not have to wait for a complaint to be lodged to take action if they suspect anyone of being involved in any wrongdoing.

"The MACC's constraint is the lack of freedom from being influenced by government politicians as to the appointment and dismissal of the commission's members are up to the Prime Minister," he said.