Ministers to declare assets once procedures finalised, says Abu Kassim

PUTRAJAYA: The Prime Minister and his Cabinet can start declaring their assets as required once the code of ethics is finalised and the official form is ready, said Tan Sri Abu Kassim Mohamed.

The Governance, Integrity and Anti-Corruption Centre (GIACC) director-general said he had asked the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) - in charge of drawing up a form - to fast track it to ensure the process of asset declaration can be done soon.

Once ready, the form as well as amendments to the code of ethics for members of the administration and lawmakers would be presented to the Cabinet for approval before the policy is enforced.

“When this is done, those concerned will have to start declaring their assets and they are given three months to do so,” he said when met at the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) monthly gathering on Thursday.

On Monday, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who chaired the special Cabinet committee on anti-corruption, had announced that he and his deputy are now members of the administration.

This means that they too will have to declare their assets just like other ministers and deputy ministers.

This is in contrast with a ruling made by the High Court last year, which decided that the prime minister was not a public officer.

The judgment was made in allowing an application by then prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to strike out a lawsuit against him for misfeasance in public office.

Apart from members of the administration, Pakatan Harapan lawmakers are also required to state their assets to the MACC.

The government had also drawn up a guideline on gifts that could be accepted by Dr Mahathir and his Cabinet, and they are flowers and food below RM500 in value.

Other form of gifts that are worth more than RM5,000 can only be accepted with a written permission from the Prime Minister.