Gubal undang-undang dana kawasan sama rata, Projek SAMA gesa P Pinang, Selangor

A civil society organization has urged the governments of Penang and Selangor to amend legislation to ensure the equitable distribution of development funds (CDF) in their respective regions. The Projek SAMA claims the current system allows CDF allocations to be cut or increased based on political support, putting public funds at risk of being used to pressure elected representatives.

While the organization acknowledges the government of Penang and Selangor has a majority to implement the reform urgently, it stresses that insufficient legislation cannot be allowed to stand. The group maintains that adopting such legislation would demonstrate Pakatan Harapan's commitment to implementing nationwide reform. They also support DAP's Penang district chief Gobind Singh Deo's call for the PH government to deliver on its 2022 election promise to provide equal CDF funding for all parliamentary constituencies.

The Projek SAMA points out that the existing system allows for CDF funding to be diverted or restricted based on political backing, exposing public funds to the risk of being used as a tool to pressure elected representatives. The organization urges the government to consider a proposed RM1 million supplementary fund for each parliamentary constituency, although this proposal still fails to address the underlying issue of executive ethics.

They also warn that any continued delay in enacting equal CDF distribution legislation will undermine the credibility of PH's reform commitment in the run-up to the 2016 general election.