PH still studying political funding proposal, says Mahathir
Pakatan Harapan chairman says coalition is looking at whether political parties should be funded by the government.
The former prime minister said this after an academic had questioned the reluctance on the part of opposition parties to support proposals to regulate funding for political parties.
“We are looking at whether political parties should be funded by the government.
“Currently, there are political parties that can solicit enough funds, while there are those who don’t receive a single sen,” the Pakatan Harapan chairman said.
Earlier today, Universiti Malaya’s Professor Terence Gomez said the aim of proposals made by civil society on political funding was to support parties and ensure they had enough money, provided there was disclosure and transparency.
He said the proposals included the introduction of public funding for political parties, which would reduce the financial advantage enjoyed by Barisan Nasional (BN).
“Public funding for political parties is important. It will level the playing field and reduce the advantage that BN has. It makes the election more compelling, theoretically,” Gomez said.
In October, political parties were briefed by the Malaysian Institute of Integrity (MII), which is the secretariat in charge of drafting the Political Donations and Expenditure Act Bill.
Leaders from Pakatan Harapan and PAS, who attended the briefing, reportedly maintained reservations on the draft of the bill.
On a separate matter, Mahathir scoffed at a PAS leader’s claim that Malaysia will take a turn for the worse should he be made an interim prime minister.
“Well, he is used to becoming the prime minister whereas I was here only for 22 years and developed nothing,” the country’s longest-serving PM said in his trademark sardonic wit.
Yesterday, PAS research centre director Mohd Zuhdi Marzuki had painted a bleak future for Malaysia if Mahathir became prime minister again.
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Malaysians, he claimed, are still affected by the damage inflicted by Mahathir through policies and administrative practices which started under his tenure.