C4 urges to make asset declaration public

PETALING JAYA: The Centre to Combat Corruption & Cronyism (C4) is calling upon the government to put in place an asset declaration law which provides for public scrutiny.
"The public must be the best check and balance, and public scrutiny is essential for political integrity in any administration," C4 executive director Cynthia Gabriel said at a press conference today.
"While C4 commends the new government on its efforts to make a pledge for asset declaration, which would help combat corruption, one flaw in the plan, or at least the information about it given to the public, is that these cabinet members, civil servants and lawmakers only have to declare their assets to the prime minister and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), but they don't have to declare their assets to the rakyat," she added.
Cynthia said the move to have the information made known to the public was welcomed by the MACC which affirmed that it could facilitate the process by uploading the relevant information on its website.
Earlier, she presented a Public Asset Declaration Framework (PADF) plan, where all declarations must be done on an annual basis, failing which the politicians might risk losing their public office.
"The asset declaration must also include immediate family members of the politicians, like their wives and children, so that the whole process is transparent," she added.
Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had said that all ministers, deputy ministers and senior government officials would be required to declare their assets to him.
Three Cabinet members – Mohamed Sabu, Salahuddin Ayub and Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad – are among some 60 politicians who have already made public asset declarations through the Invoke Malaysia organisation.