The NGO said the condition set in the proposed memorandum of understanding between the government and the opposition for equal parliamentary fund allocations should not be used as a political tool.
“The only way the government’s demand for the opposition to declare their assets can be justified is if all government MPs also do the same.
“Anything short of full disclosure from the Madani government will be seen as hypocritical,” it said in a statement.
On Sept 2, Perikatan Nasional chief whip Takiyuddin Hassan said the proposed MoU for equal allocations contained “strange conditions” set by the government.
Takiyuddin said these included requirements for MPs to declare their assets and pledge support for the government until the end of the current parliamentary term.
The Kota Bharu MP questioned the need for non-government MPs to declare their assets, which he said should only be practised by MPs in the administration such as the prime minister, deputy prime ministers and ministers.
C4 also said the opposition should not maintain an “antagonistic” attitude towards mandatory asset declaration as doing so goes against the principle of good governance and transparency.
“Transparency is not a qualified obligation based on the notion of who holds power and who does not.
“Even though the opposition does not hold the reins in Putrajaya, their MPs can and should elect to declare their assets voluntarily.
“This practice should be normalised for anyone entering public office and seen as a confidence booster for the electorate,” it said.
Implement mandatory asset declaration law
C4 also urged the government to introduce an asset declaration law applicable to all MPs that provides a clear framework for declaration and public access to the information.
It said the current administration’s efforts to implement asset declaration have been lacklustre and there have been few updates on its promise to introduce a new asset declaration framework for government MPs.
It also said a framework alone is weaker than a law as it is not mandatory and can lead to discrepancies in transparency among MPs.
“With the evident willingness of the current government to use asset declaration requirements as a bargaining chip for political manoeuvres, renewed calls for an asset declaration law for all MPs must be made,” C4 said.