SERI KEMBANGAN, Aug 4 — The MCA is willing to open its books on political funding, its president, Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, said yesterday.

“MCA will make donations to the party public. We have to be transparent and we are all for this. But we also want the Opposition to follow suit,” he told reporters after opening SRJK (C) Bukit Serdang here. 

Commenting on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s statement that he was willing to reveal the identity of Barisan Nasional’s political funders if the Opposition did the same, Liow said it was important to be transparent in such matters.  

In George Town, Penang Chief Minister and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said the party was never contacted on any proposal to regulate political funding.

Malay Mail Online quoted him as saying at a press conference it was untrue DAP had rejected a law that would require the disclosure of donations and other financing.

On Najib’s remark that DAP had blocked a previous proposal to require all political parties to reveal how their operations were funded, he said the prime minister had never approached the party on the matter.

Earlier, DAP national organising secretary Anthony Loke rejected the claim his party had opposed the proposal to reveal the sources of its funding.

He also denied the allegation DAP was financed by US billionaire George Soros, calling the allegation “absurd”.

“If we want to talk about political funding, I’m sure Umno has more to answer, and let’s not forget about 1Malaysia Development Berhad,” he said.