KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 18 ― The recently-mooted National Consultative Committee on Political Fundings should be up and running within two weeks once its membership is finalised, Datuk Paul Low said today.
The minister in the Prime Minister's Department said he is looking at between 15 and 20 people on the committee, which was set up to look into Putrajaya's plan to create a law regulating political funding in the country.
“It will be people representing society, across (the board). People must have a say in the transformation of (our) political institution,” said Low, who was put in charge of the committee.
Low explained that the committee will comprise representatives from the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition and non-BN parties, academics, civil society groups and NGOs.
He said an invitation will also be sent out to the Malaysian Bar to join as a member of the committee, though he acknowledged their earlier statement against participating in the panel.
“We will invite all relevant stakeholders. The subject matter is not an everyday subject matter that everyone knows. We need a certain amount of expertise,” he said.
Asked if electoral reform group Bersih 2.0 will be invited to be a panellist, Low said they are not on the list due to their “diversity of views”, but did not discount the possibility of engaging them through special sessions moderated by the committee.
The committee will also work on a digital platform to engage Malaysians with the relevant expertise living abroad, to get their input on what needs to be done to properly manage political funding, Low added.
Last week, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced the formation of the committee to gather input for a law to regulate political funding, saying this was necessary to ensure the country practised “healthy” politics.
Najib denied the idea was a result of the furore over the RM2.6 billion donation deposited into this personal accounts, and said the panel was a follow-up to his pledge to regulate political fundings in 2009.
