Asset Declaration – Long Overdue

The Penang state government started the ball rolling when their exco members declared their assets to the public.

Days later, Chief Justice Tan Sri Arifin Zakaria said judges too will be required to declare their assets in order to ensure judicial integrity. The move is expected to affect judges of the Federal Court, Court of Appeal and High Court as well as Judicial Commissioners. I’m not sure to whom the judges are to declare their assets or when they will do so but it is nevertheless positive news.

Then came the MACC; they propose all Cabinet ministers, deputy ministers and their immediate family members sign statutory declarations (SD) to declare their assets with the agency. The chairman of the anti-graft body’s advisory panel, Puan Sri Zaitun Zawiyah Puteh, said today that spouses and family members of those in the federal administration will also be required to do the same. (Reported on The Star Online). Why to the agency, I do not know. Will it be made public? I do not know. (If anyone knows, please tell me). Minister Nazri Aziz, in response to the MACC proposal said that ministers should only declare their assets to the prime minister and not to the MACC because the move would pose a "danger" to the individuals. PAS Youth's information chief Riduan Mohd Nor then questioned what Nazri had meant by the word 'danger'. “Does he mean 'danger' to family members of the minister and their assets, or 'danger' to their future once their millions of ringgit worth of assets' become public knowledge?" Lim Guan Eng on the other hand said he understood where Nazri is coming from. For those who have inherited assets, inherited wealth, or those with family wealth and those who were successful even before politics, that wealth may be subjected to attention for unhealthy elements. Nevertheless, Guan Eng stressed that there is a necessity, at least as the first step, to ask all office bearers, those who hold positions of public trust, to declare their assets.

In an almost related matter, Ambiga Sreenevasan the BERSIH co chairperson urged Defense Minister Zahid Hamidi to declare his assets and lead his Barisan Nasional colleagues in the fight against corruption that he has likened to cancer.

Cabinet ministers are presently required to disclose their assets to the Prime Minister but the information is not made public. I’m wondering if the PM is required to declare his assets and if so, to whom? To himself maybe.

I am a proponent of asset declaration by public office bearers, especially those who hold positions of public trust. The reasons are obvious, to prevent power abuse, to eliminate corruption and to encourage ethical wealth accumulation. Holding important public positions must not be an avenue to enrich oneself, there are many other ways of doing that; honest hard work would be a good start. At the same time, I’m also a proponent adequately rewarding people holding important public positions, they must be paid comparable wages and benefits to those in the private sector, maybe even slightly more. Having said that; generous pay packet must come with equally generous commitment to work.

When it comes to members of the legislature, I propose the asset declaration be made to the Election Commission (and accessible to the public) prior to obtaining approval to contest.

It is not wrong to accumulate wealth and be filthy rich. It is wrong to obtain wealth via unethical means.