Akhbar Satar, president of Transparency International Malaysia hailed Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Aminuddin Harun’s announcement that he and all 10 executive councillors would declare their assets online within a month.
“The other state executive councils should follow Aminuddin’s initiative,” he said. “It is time to return integrity to public service.”
He said public officials should be required to declare their assets when assuming office, renewed every year, and on leaving office.
The Negeri Sembilan asset declarations are to be made available for public scrutiny at the state government web site.
Akhbar said Malaysians had a right to demand transparency and accountability from public officials.
Asset declarations could help prevent corruption by making it easy to discern if the official was living beyond a legal source of income.
Anti-graft group Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4) wants mandatory asset declaration for politicians and top civil servants.
Executive director Cynthia Gabriel said C4 had completed its research based on the best practices taken from Indonesia, Taiwan and Australia.
“The framework was done together with the Bar Council and is aimed at a comprehensive asset declaration for the prime minister, deputy prime minister, ministers, chief ministers and their excos.
“Those who hold top post in the civil service should declare their assets,” she told FMT.
This includes the attorney-general, inspector-general of police, the auditor- general and others.
Cynthia said C4 was seeking a meeting with officers from the Prime Minister’s Office and the National Centre for Governance, Integrity and Anti-Corruption (GIACC) to share the framework and look at ways to implement it.
“We do not want those elected and those entrusted by the public to get rich on public funds.
“They may come in as rich individuals through their business engagements and professionals.
“But they should be made to declare their assets to improve the integrity of civil service and politicians,” she said.
The framework, if approved, would require civil servants to declare assets and cash in and out of the country and as for politicians, they would be required to declare their assets every five years.
The framework, Cynthia said, would also push for family members, such as the spouse and children, to declare their assets.
On Friday, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said all Cabinet ministers and deputy ministers and senior government officials would be required to declare their assets to him, and a copy would be passed on to the new national centre for governance and integrity.
Three members of his Cabinet – Mohamed Sabu, Salahuddin Ayub and Dzulkefly Ahmad – are among about 60 politicians who have made public asset declarations through the Invoke Malaysia organisation.
Members of the Penang state executive council have also made similar public declarations in the past, as well as members of Parti Socialis Malaysia.
The head of the integrity centre, Abu Kassim Mohamed, said today that details of the asset declaration scheme were being worked out and would be submitted to a Cabinet anti-corruption committee for approval.