Financing Politics in Malaysia: Reforming the System
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54313/journalmp.v1i.32Keywords:
Political Financing, Institutions, Legislation, Party Elections, ReformsAbstract
While debates about reforms of the financing of politics focus on money spent during federal and state elections, this study argues for a review of the financing of internal party elections. In Malaysia, the government proposed reforms of the financing of politics, but its focus was on only one issue, the introduction of a new law governing political parties. This article argues for the need to consider two additional points when this type of reform is proposed, namely: (1) institutional reforms of agencies responsible for monitoring the activities of parties and elections, to allow for greater autonomy of these institutions; and (2) measures to ensure internal party elections are conducted in a manner devoid of deep monetisation. The main reason for these additional proposals is that objectionable practices in the financing of party elections are being replicated in federal and state elections.
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