Bersih calls for urgent reform to political funding laws after RM1 million election spend claim

ELECTORAL reform coalition Bersih has renewed its call for immediate legislative reform on political financing, following revelations that a minimum of RM1 million may be needed to win a single parliamentary seat.

The claim, made by PAS Election Director Datuk Seri Sanusi Md Nor during the party’s 71st annual congress, has sparked concerns over potential breaches of campaign spending limits and exposed major gaps in Malaysia’s outdated political financing laws.

In a statement issued Thursday, Bersih warned that existing legislation, particularly the Election Offences Act 1954, is riddled with loopholes, leaving political parties with room to spend beyond the legal limits without consequence.

“Bersih would like to remind that Section 19 of the Election Offences Act 1954 sets the spending cap at RM200,000 for a parliamentary candidate and RM100,000 for a state seat,” the group stated.

It added that the latest disclosure raises serious questions about the credibility of lawmakers who are bound by laws they themselves appear to ignore.

Bersih also highlighted that campaign spending is only one side of the issue — the sources of political funds are equally critical and warrant greater scrutiny.

“The question of where political parties obtain their funding is just as important as how the money is spent, especially during the run-up to and throughout the campaign period,” said the statement.

The watchdog has put forward two key recommendations to address the problem.

Firstly, it urged the government to amend the Election Offences Act to reflect modern campaign realities, including increased costs for transport, venue rental, staffing and logistics.

“Section 19 should be updated to align with current expenditure levels. Additionally, Sections 23 and 24 should be amended to make it mandatory for both candidates and political parties to audit and report their campaign finances,” it said.

Secondly, Bersih reiterated its longstanding demand for a dedicated Political Funding Act, which would regulate donations, set contribution limits, require donor identification and establish legal penalties for violations.

“For example, the All-Party Parliamentary Group Malaysia on Political Financing (KRPPM) previously proposed contribution limits of RM50,000 from individuals and RM100,000 from corporations,” the statement noted.

It also recommended the establishment of an independent oversight commission to ensure political donations and spending are monitored transparently and ethically.

Bersih stressed that Sanusi’s public admission should serve as a wake-up call on the escalating cost of contesting elections and the disproportionate influence of large donors.

“The current laws are far too weak to regulate how political parties and candidates receive and spend money during elections,” the group said.

“It is high time the government showed courage by implementing reforms that will ensure our electoral process is genuinely clean, fair and transparent.” - September 18, 2025