Paul Low Seng Kuan

As a minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Datuk Paul Low was in charge of the implementation of transparency in the Malaysian government.[6] However, he appeared reluctant to comment on the 1MDB issue, a high profile corruption scandal that threatened to engulf the government.

In 2018, in an interview for FMT News he said he tried to protect Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officers during the 1MDB probe. He claimed he reversed the decision to transfer several MACC officers who were removed from the 1MDB investigation. However, he was not able to stop the commission from being dismantled.[7]

Contrary to expectations, the new Pakatan Harapan Government which came into power did not completely dismantle the body of work that Datuk Paul Low had built up over his five years in office. In fact, a new National Centre for Governance, Integrity and Anti-Corruption (GIACC) was set up in June 2018 to oversee and restructure most of the Agencies that had been under his purview.[8]

Headed by former MACC Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Abu Kassim Mohamed - who had worked closely with Low before his abrupt resignation from office in 2015 - the role of GIACC is to streamline and coordinate the implementation of key anti-corruption initiatives, which includes a new Law to regulate Political Funding.[9]

In 2016 - 2017, he drafted and presented the Political Donations and Expenditure Bill,[10][11] which sought to reform federal law to make all public officials liable under the country's anti-corruption laws. This would include the prime minister, cabinet ministers and members of parliament representing all political parties. According to the bill all public officers would have to declare all assets including gifts received while in office to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.

In July 2018, it was announced that the bill would be passed, and federal law amended.[12]