The Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) today released the latest edition of its Malaysia Open Budget Index (MyOBI), which detailed some interesting results about the transparency of State Governments in our country.
The index sought to measure State Governments’ transparency regarding budget information and the oversight of the budget by the State Assembly (DUN) as per benchmarks adapted from the globally accepted criteria of the International Budget Partnership’s initiative named the Open Survey (OBS).
Terengganu and Selangor ranked joint 1st in the index
In a statement, IDEAS revealed that for MyOBI 2024, Terengganu and Selangor are ranked joint 1st, with both State Governments scoring 76/100 in Public Availability.
It added that MyOBI critically assesses the accessibility and timeliness of key budget documents, the monitoring role of the DUN, and opportunities for public engagement in the budget process.
The findings showed that there are significant disparities in transparency and monitoring among states in Malaysia as many State Governments still fail to ensure adequate disclosure of budget information, with some states not publishing key documents.
IDEAS noted that in particular, Kedah and Pahang lag behind other states with insufficient exposure, highlighting the urgent need for improvement.
On a positive note, the index revealed that Sarawak and Malacca have shown significant progress by improving access to key budget information compared to the previous assessment. However, there is a critical need for all states to ensure transparent access to budget information.
IDEAS urge for more effective monitoring of state budgets
Despite the overall positive development, IDEAS said that concerns persist about DUN’s monitoring capacity.
Although states such as Selangor, Terengganu and Sabah have shown stronger monitoring through timely budget presentations and increased state assembly sessions, the overall performance in this regard is still insufficient.
Effective monitoring requires the publication of Hansards (official reports of all Parliamentary debates), sufficient time for debate and budget questions and the record of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to inform the public of the results of legislative scrutiny.
Read MyOBI 2024’s full report here.
So, what do you guys think of the study’s findings? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
Also read: Study: Malaysia Ranked 19th Among Asia’s Wealthiest Countries!
