KUALA LUMPUR, June 13 (Bernama) -- Malaysia has always practised an open policy to suggestions from both local and foreign sources in efforts to improve the election process in the country, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz said the question of credibility or recognition of the proposing party was not important so long as they gave positive proposals which could assist the matter.

"We have said many times the government itself wants to hold fair and free election," he was replying to a supplementary question by Datuk Ahmad Hamzah (BN-Jasin) who questioned the credibility of the 'International Fact-finding Mission on Election in Malaysia' especially its member Senator Nick Xenophon from Australia.

The mission which was a fact-finding effort on election in Malaysia in April was invited by opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (Permatang Pauh-PKR) who was also involved in setting its terms of reference. The practise was unusual and in fact the mission members were also specially chosen.

Elaborating on the proposals by the mission, Mohamed Nazri said Malaysia was benchmarking itself against the Westminster model.

"Our benchmark is the United Kingdom Parliament or 'Westminster' in which our parliament was modelled," he said.

Replying to the original question by Anwar on the government's feedback on the interim report presented by the mission, he said the issues raised in the report had been raised before.

"They were raised in Bersih 2.0, Bersih 3.0, Parliamentary Select Committee on Electoral Reform and were frequently raised in both houses of the parliament," he said.

"The Election Commission has said that some of the comments had been given due consideration and actions had and were being taken to implement them at the appropriate time and condition," he added.