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SHAH ALAM – The Civil Society and Expert Group of the All-Party Parliamentary Group Malaysia on Integrity, Governance and Anti-Corruption (CSEG APPG-IGAR) has called on the Government and Parliament to turn Malaysia’s institutional reform commitments into concrete action within the current parliamentary term.
The group said reforms must result in effective laws, independent institutions and enforceable accountability mechanisms that remain credible regardless of changes in political leadership.
In a statement titled “Institutional Reform: Turn Commitments Into Action”, CSEG APPG-IGAR outlined six key areas requiring immediate progress.
The first is the separation of the Attorney-General and Public Prosecutor roles, which the group said should be completed without further delay.
It called for a clear implementation timeline, genuine prosecutorial independence and accountability to Parliament, stressing that constitutional amendments alone would be insufficient without legislation defining the powers, functions, independence and accountability of both offices.
On freedom of information, the group called for legislation guaranteeing meaningful and enforceable access to information through robust public-interest and harm tests, narrowly defined exemptions, independent enforcement and an effective appeals mechanism.
“If the proposed Ombudsman framework did not proceed, an independent statutory FOI Commission should be considered to oversee implementation, compliance and appeals.
“Transparency must not be discretionary; it must be guaranteed by law,” the group said.
CSEG APPG-IGAR also called for political financing legislation to be enacted before the next General Election (GE), requiring disclosure of political donations, party assets and income, independently audited accounts, contribution and expenditure limits, transparency over corporate donations and public funding for political parties.
It also called for meaningful penalties and an independent regulatory mechanism with effective enforcement powers.
On reforming the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), the group said the agency’s independence must be protected through legislation and institutional safeguards rather than depending on individual office-holders.
“Our proposed measures are transparent appointment and removal processes, operational independence, stronger oversight panels, parliamentary oversight and greater transparency in the exercise of MACC’s statutory powers,” it said.
The group also called for a Parliamentary Services Act to strengthen Parliament’s independence.
It proposed an Independent Parliamentary Legislative Drafting Office, greater financial autonomy through a Parliamentary Budget Office and stronger accountability for the Parliamentary Service Council.
CSEG APPG-IGAR also called for urgent amendments to the Election Offences Act 1954 to strengthen electoral reform.
Key areas include campaign spending, financial disclosure, digital campaigning, paid influencers, misuse of government machinery, postal voting and emerging artificial intelligence (AI)-related risks.
“The Election Commission (EC) must also be equipped and empowered to investigate, audit and enforce electoral rules within its mandate.
“We demand delivery. Institutional reform must go beyond announcements and the passing of laws.
“Every reform must have a clear timeline, proper implementation mechanism, strong accountability and effective safeguards to ensure that it works in practice,” the group emphasised.
CSEG APPG-IGAR said it would continue monitoring progress and engaging with Parliamentary Select Committees and key stakeholders to ensure reform commitments resulted in meaningful, effective and lasting institutional change.