MEDIA STATEMENT Government needs to expedite Political Financing Reforms

We call for the government and political parties to work seriously towards institutional reforms for greater independence of the MACC and more transparent financing of political parties. [...] Further, the group recommends public funding as a means to curb political corruption, where the government provides funds to political parties based on a set formula, hence eventually reducing over-dependence on private sector funds and the conflict of interest potentially arising from this. [...] Improving MACC’s independence would boost public confidence in the MACC and reduce the perception of the institution being used for political purposes. [...] We would also like to remind the government that the National Anti-Corruption Plan (NACP) that was launched in 2019 targeted to introduce a political financing legislation by the end of 2020 and have a separate Parliamentary Select Committee for the MACC by the end of 2023. [...] As the NACP will expire at the end of this year, it is now more crucial than ever for the government to show political willingness to enact change.