PETALING JAYA, July 28 — The Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (Muda) today announced that it will auction paintings and photographs to boost its coffers for the state elections.
Its president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman said as of yesterday, the party had collected more than RM850,000 and hopes to hit its target of RM1.5 million with this new round of campaign fund raising.
“We are happy to announce that we have collected RM854,350.82 from 4,396 donors as of July 27. The average contribution is RM194.35 and the lowest amount we received was RM5,” he announced during a press conference here at Muda’s main operations centre.
To achieve its target of RM1.5 million, Syed Saddiq announced that it will auction the rare paintings titled Rembah and Kilas 1, which are the work of celebrated Malaysian fine artist, Yusof Ghani, and currently belong to his private collection.
It will also auction a painting by Tan Choon Ghee and three photographs by French photographer Ould Amer Tarik.
“These collections were donated to us to fund our election campaign. The paintings and photographs will be sold via open auction through a website starting today,” he said.
Bidding will open at 6pm today and close at 7pm on Sunday.
The Muar MP explained that Muda’s decision to receive contributions from the public is to not let the party be indebted to any elites.
“Political parties usually receive contributions or donations from elites and the rich to fund their campaigns and they end up being indebted to them when they form a government. The people will suffer. We do not want that. We are for the people. We carry their voices,” he said.
Syed Saddiq again called for the tabling of the political financing Bill to prevent any rich and powerful figures from carving out a stake in the country’s democratic institutions.
On May 22, in a Parliamentary written reply, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said pledged that engagement sessions need to be continued to get feedback from political parties and stakeholders, so that the Bill to be enacted is inclusive and comprehensive.
She said that the Bill will be proposed to be referred to the Parliament Select Committee (PSC) so that all Members of the Dewan Rakyat can give their views and suggestions so that all important aspects regarding this political fund are taken into account.
Malaysia currently does not have any laws governing the contribution of funds to political parties and politicians.
