‘Not a must to declare assets’

PETALING JAYA: Though encouraged, there is nothing to compel election candidates to declare their assets, say observers.

Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) chairman Thomas Fann said there should be no compulsion on anyone to declare their assets before elections but those who do would be perceived by voters as being more transparent and serious in fighting corruption.

“It is just a political calculation on the part of the candidate or party whether to declare or not.

“Bersih supports the declaration of assets by candidates as it promotes transparency and helps voters make better informed choices,” he said.

He also pointed out that there is no legal requirement for election candidates to declare their assets at the moment.

“They cannot be held legally accountable if their declarations are found to be false or inaccurate,” he added.

However, he said, asset declaration should be a requirement for those elected into political office, including ministers, as this will enable the public to assess whether the wealth came during their tenure in public office or if it was already accumulated before they joined politics.

“Those who seek public office should be prepared for a higher level of scrutiny,” he said.

Political analyst Dr Tunku Mohar Tunku Mohd Mokhtar of International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) said he would encourage candidates to declare their assets

“As a voter, I want to know whether the person I will be voting for is accountable. Declaring asset is the first test,” he said.

While there are no legal requirements for candidates to declare their assets, he said, the move is something to be applauded.

“This shows the candidates’ willingness to be transparent. Voters can know the candidates’ assets or wealth, and if such candidates win, voters can keep track of their wealth while being elected representatives,” he added.

“For ministers, it should be a must, and such declarations should be made public, not only for the prime minister.

“People are sceptical about the sources of wealth of some ministers and this scepticism should be addressed accordingly through asset declaration.”

Asked whether there are ways to ensure that no false declarations are made, Tunku Mohar said a legal framework will be needed to establish the truth of such declarations.

“In today’s information age, however, some of these financial or share records are publicly available online, and some people can detect false declarations by these politicians,” he said.

PKR has stipulated asset declaration as a policy for candidates, with almost all of its candidates including party chief Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim having done so.

Another party that has an asset declaration policy is Muda and all of its candidates have submitted their declarations.

Parti Sosialis Malaysia candidate for the Ayer Kuning state seat, KS Bawani, recently declared her net asset of RM992.50, in line with the party’s practice for election candidates since 1999.

PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang yesterday said there was no need for assets declaration during the campaign period as voters should know their candidates by now.

However, he said he has no issue if any PAS leader wants to do so.

“Sometimes I view asset declaration as a form of stupidity. They want to show off.

“What is it that we want to show to the public? We want to show that we are good people,” Hadi told reporters after delivering his morning sermon in Marang.