KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 28 — Datuk Paul Low announced today that the National Consultative Committee on Political Fundings chaired by him should complete its task by August 31 next year, giving the newly-formed panel roughly a year to fulfil its obligations.
In a statement today, the minister in charge of integrity and governance said the committee will have not more than 25 members, which will include selected community leaders, civil society members, and representative of professional bodies.
A total of 18 names were announced as members so far today, including Pemandu chief executive Datuk Seri Idris Jala as deputy chairman, and Dr Anis Yusal Yusoff, the president of Integrity Institute Malaysia as secretary.
Also named was Tan Sri Johan Jaafar, a member of Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s Consultation and Corruption Prevention Panel, and former Elections Commission chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman.
Other members include Datuk Akhbar Satar from Transparency International Malaysia, Wan Saiful Wan Jan of Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs, and Dr Gan Ping Sieu of Centre for a Better Tomorrow.
Three “youth leaders” were included in the committee: Akram Yusof, Jufitri Joha and Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman.
Academics from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Universiti Sains Malaysia and Universiti Utara Malaysia were also named in the list.
Low also listed down six terms of reference for the committee, including framing best practices and legislation to prevent graft in political funding, and to consult politicians and stakeholders on the matter.
Earlier this month, 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 his personal accounts, and said the panel was a follow-up to his pledge to regulate political fundings in 2009.
