Home Coalitions Clean and Fair Elections Testimoni Ku Nan menunjukkan keperluan kepada reformasi pendanaan, perbelanjaan politik (Malay/English)

Testimoni Ku Nan menunjukkan keperluan kepada reformasi pendanaan, perbelanjaan politik (Malay/English)

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[ENGLISH VERSION BELOW] Gabungan Pilihan Raya Bersih dan Adil (Bersih 2.0) merujuk kepada testimoni setiausaha agung BN Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor di Mahkamah Tinggi yang mendedahkan bagaimana Umno mengutip sumbangan untuk kempen pilihan raya melalui sumbangan politik.

Kami tidak mengatakan bahawa testimoninya akan melepaskan beliau daripada tuduhan rasuah; ianya menunjukkan bagaimana jumlah wang yang sebegitu besar dikutip dan dibelanjakan untuk pilihan raya.

Pada masa ini, Akta Kesalahan Pilihan Raya 1954 kini hanya mengawal perbelanjaan kempen oleh calon pada masa kempen pilihan raya sahaja. Perbelanjaan oleh parti politik dan lain-lain, termasuklah untuk faedah calon sebahagian besarnya tidak dikawal. Sebagai tambahan, tidak ada peraturan untuk derma politik kepada parti politik dan calon.

Pendanaan politik yang tidak dikawal bukan sahaja akan membuka ruang untuk rasuah dan pengaruh tidak wajar oleh pihak berkepentingan bahkan ianya akan merendahkan keyakinan umum terhadap integriti pilihan raya.

Untuk menyediakan padang yang sama rata kepada pertandingan politik dan mengurangkan pengaruh politik wang, Akta Kesalahan Pilihan Raya wajib dipinda dan undang-undang pendanaan politik mesti digubal untuk mengawal dua teras utama untuk pendanaan politik, iaitu sumber dan perbelanjaan dana tersebut.

Bagi sumber dana, sumbangan kepada parti politik dan calon, berbentuk wang dan yang serupa dengannya yang melebihi RM1,000 perlu diisytiharkan. Kawalan tersebut perlu berjalan untuk setiap masa dan untuk semua jenis sumbangan termasuk daripada individu dan korporat, serta dari dalam atau luar negeri.

Walaubagaimanapun, syarikat berkaitan kerajaan (government-linked companies) sebagai penjaga wang rakyat perlu dihalang daripada memberi sumbangan kepada parti politik atau terlibat dengan aktiviti politik.

Pembiayaan awam kepada parti politik juga perlu diperkenalkan untuk mengurangkan kebergantungan terhadap sumber persendirian, terutamanya golongan berkepentingan daripada orang kaya dan korporat.

READ MORE:  Reform Election Offences Act to enhance fairness

Bagi perbelanjaan dana pula, had perbelanjaan kempen RM100,000 untuk calon dewan undangan negeri dan RM200,000 untuk calon parlimen perlu ditingkatkan kepada jumlah yang lebih realistik. Kami mencadangkan untuk perbelanjaan kempen dinaikkan ke RM500,000 dan RM1,000,000. Peraturan ini juga perlu meliputi perbelanjaan oleh parti politik dan pihak ketiga.

Semua calon perlu menghantar laporan perbelanjaan dan pendapatan semasa kempen pilihan raya dengan dokumen sokongan dan ini perlu diaudit serta dipamerkan oleh Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya (SPR) untuk disemak oleh orang ramai bagi meningkatkan ketelusan dan kebertanggungjawaban.

Reformasi pendanaan politik juga perlu seiiring dengan reformasi Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya untuk memastikan mereka mempunyai kuasa bagi menguatkuasakan undang-undang pilihan raya.

Kami menggesa kerajaan untuk membentangkan rang undang-undang pendanaan politik secepat mungkin dan mengumumkan rang undang-undang kepada orang ramai agar semua pihak berkepentingan dapat memberikan pandangan serta cadangan semasa sesi pendengaran oleh jawatankuasa khas parlimen.

Jawatankuasa pemandu Bersih 2.0

English version

Ku Nan’s testimony shows why we need political spending and financing reforms

The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih 2.0) refers to BN secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor’s testimony in the High Court that revealed how Umno raised funds for election campaigns through political donations.

While we do not suggest that his testimony exonerates him from the corruption charge, it does show how vast sums of monies are raised and spent in elections.

At present, the Election Offences Act 1954 only regulates campaign spending by candidates during election campaigns. Spending by political parties and others, including those for the benefits of the candidates are left largely unregulated. In addition, there is no regulation on political donations to political parties and candidates.

READ MORE:  Guna sumber kerajaan untuk kempen pilihan raya langgar etika pilihan raya

Unregulated political financing not only enables loopholes for bribery and undue influence by interest groups, but also undermines public confidence in the integrity of elections.

To provide a level playing field for political competition and to reduce the influence of money in politics, the Election Offences Act must be amended and a new law on political financing must be enacted to regulate these two key areas of political financing ie the source and the spending of funds.

On the source of funds, contributions to political parties and candidates, both in cash and in kind, above RM1,000 must be declared. The limit should apply at all times and on all types of donors including individual and corporate, both local and foreign.

However, government-linked companies as custodians of public wealth should be barred from donating to political parties or being involved in political activities.

Public funding for political parties should also be introduced to help reduce the reliance on private sources of funding, particularly from the wealthy and corporate interest groups.

On the spending of funds, the current campaign spending limits of RM100,000 for a state assembly candidate and RM200,000 for a parliamentary candidate should be increased to a more realistic figure. We would propose limits of RM500,000 and RM1,000,000 respectively. The regulation should be extended to cover spending by political parties and third parties as well.

All candidates should be required to submit their income and expenses report for election campaign with supporting documents, and these should be audited and published for public scrutiny by the Electoral Commission to enhance transparency and accountability. Such reforms on political financing need also to be accompanied by reforms to the Electoral Commission to ensure that it is empowered to enforce election laws and that it will enforce them impartially.

READ MORE:  Guna sumber kerajaan untuk kempen pilihan raya langgar etika pilihan raya

We urge the government to table the political financing bill as soon as possible and make public the bill for all stakeholders to be able to give their views and suggestions during the parliamentary select committee’s hearing.

Bersih 2.0 Steering Committee

The views expressed in Aliran's media statements and the NGO statements we have endorsed reflect Aliran's official stand. Views and opinions expressed in other pieces published here do not necessarily reflect Aliran's official position.

AGENDA RAKYAT - Lima perkara utama
  1. Tegakkan maruah serta kualiti kehidupan rakyat
  2. Galakkan pembangunan saksama, lestari serta tangani krisis alam sekitar
  3. Raikan kerencaman dan keterangkuman
  4. Selamatkan demokrasi dan angkatkan keluhuran undang-undang
  5. Lawan rasuah dan kronisme
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