The Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) said the second phase of the framework, covering May to August, included the proposed ombudsman and freedom of information bills, as well as enhanced whistleblower protections.
IDEAS CEO Aira Azhari acknowledged that these measures would bolster accountability, transparency and the rule of law, but said these efforts would be weakened if political financing reform remains elusive.
“Political financing is not a peripheral issue. It is central to the integrity of democratic governance.
“Without clear rules governing political financing, institutional reforms risk being undermined by persistent opacity in how political power is financed and exercised.
“Despite repeated public commitments by the government, political financing reform remains absent from the current phase of the framework.
“There is still no clear legislative timeline, no draft bill and no indication of when it will be tabled.
“This pattern of commitment without delivery raises serious concerns about the pace and depth of the government’s reform agenda,” she said in a statement.
Aira said IDEAS had consistently taken part in government engagements and policy discussions on political financing reform, while receiving multiple verbal assurances that such a bill would be introduced.
However, she expressed concern that these stated commitments would not lead to actual policy delivery.
“Although the framework provides a timeline until August, with four more months remaining in the year after that, what assurance do we have that the bill will come to light even then?”
Last year, law and institutional reform minister Azalina Othman Said said it would be difficult for a political financing bill to be passed before the next general election as more feedback was still needed.
In January, her deputy, M Kulasegaran, said the government was awaiting the results of a public perception study conducted by researchers from the International Islamic University Malaysia before finalising the bill.
He also said various proposals had been gathered after 20 stakeholder engagements with business chambers, civil society and academia, all of which would be consolidated to form the parameters of the bill.