PUTRAJAYA, July 9 — The federal government is currently studying the political funding models of other countries such as Germany, where the government gives political funds to political parties for elections, the prime minister said today.

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad noted the fact that political parties need money to contest in elections and went on to talk about models that will be studied.

“In some countries, the government provides the fund to all political parties.

“That is done, I think in Germany, we have to study that, whether that is something we can do,” he said in a press conference broadcasted live after he chaired a special Cabinet committee on anti-corruption here.

But Dr Mahathir said Putrajaya will not adopt the United States system where funding is given for lawmakers to be lobbyists.

“That to us is corruption, we will not allow that in Malaysia,” he said.