Malaysia
What’s the point of declaring assets if no action taken, asks Shafie
Parti Warisan president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal said he did not mind requiring all Warisan MPs also declare their assets but the authorities must take note if there’s an explicit or sudden change in wealth. — Picture by Firdaus Latif

PENAMPANG, Nov 12 — Parti Warisan president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal said that he has no issue with asset declaration but said it was pointless if not followed by an audit or enforcement.

He said that some downplayed their assets, while others were shown to have accumulated a lot of wealth in a short period of time, but no action was taken at any point.

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"It is not for display. Enforcement of the law is important in this country. We can’t be having double standards,” he said after a Warisan ceramah here at the Funky Farm food court last night.

"I don’t mind it — I declared my assets when I was in Cabinet and I still declared my assets as a member of Parliament. But what happens then?

"Some declare their assets but have much more than that. Too many have all sorts of assets suddenly but is any action taken? What is the point of declaring if no action is taken?” he said.

Shafie added he did not mind requiring all Warisan MPs also declare their assets — as they had nothing much to declare — but the authorities must take note if there’s an explicit or sudden change in wealth.

"There must also be the question of enforcement,” he said.

The question of declaring assets has been welcomed by some political parties, and criticised by others.

PKR leaders have declared their assets as a part of their no corruption campaign, including president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and deputy president Rafizi Ramli. Muda president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman has also made a similar disclosure.

Others in Perikatan Nasional and Barisan Nasional, such as Datuk Seri Azmin Ali and Khairy Jamaluddin have called it "election theatrics” and "unnecessary”.

Similarly, PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang said it was "a form of stupidity” and "showing off”.

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