MALAYSIA needs to set up an independent body to monitor political financing and a comprehensive legal framework to regulate it, said the Malaysian Institute of Integrity.

MII made the recommendation to the government’s committee on institutional reforms today.

“Political parties are not governed by any laws except the Societies Act,” the institute’s secretariat chief Amerul Muner Mohammad told reporters after the meeting.

The independent entity was among 32 recommendations Amerul presented to the committee, which is in the process of meeting with stakeholders on institutional reforms.

“Political donations and contributions (to individual candidates and political parties during and outside election period) should be monitored (and regulated) because they can be abused,” he said.

Malaysia wanted to introduce political funding laws under the Najib Razak administration but opposition parties objected over fears that theirs donors would be harassed and persecuted by the former Barisan Nasional government.

Police recently seized 72 bags containing cash totalling RM114 million, jewellery and 284 boxes of luxury handbags in their investigation into Najib under money-laundering laws.

The former Umno president said those were gifts and donations while the Umno Strategic Communication Unit said the cash was party funds in Najib’s safekeeping and has asked police to return them.

Earlier, G25 representing prominent former civil servants, also made its recommendations to the IRC to regulate political financing, among other institutional reforms.

“The regulation should cover donations, expenditures and disclosures for candidates as well as political parties,” said G25 member Mohd Sheriff Mohd Kassim. – May 31, 2018.