GEORGE TOWN, Aug 6 — All Penang Pakatan Rakyat (PR) state assemblymen and state executive councillors openly declared their assets today to set an example for other PR states to follow suit.
In leading the asset declaration today, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said he hoped this move by the state will pave the way for the other PR states, Kelantan and Selangor, to follow suit.
“We want to show that not only all our state excos are openly declaring their assets but that all of our state assemblymen are doing this too,” he said at a press conference at his office.
All 11 state executive councillors and 19 state assemblymen including Lim publicly declared their assets in individual statements that are each verified by an independent accountant firm, Grant Thornton.
Lim said this move was to show that the asset declaration of all state assemblymen is not so difficult to achieve.
This move is also in line with one of the PR state government’s manifesto for the general election.
“We also want to show that it is safe for the state assemblymen to publicly declare their assets,” he said.
The assets of each executive councillor and assemblyman will be uploaded onto the state government’s website within the next few days.
As for the 10 Barisan Nasional state assemblymen, Lim said they will not be asked to declare their assets as this was a PR pledge under its manifesto.
“If they would like to declare their assets, we are willing to offer our independent accountant firm at our expense,” he added.
Asked if the PR MPs in Penang are also declaring their assets, Lim said the MPs are not under any compulsion to do so since the manifesto refers to the state government.
“We will ask the MPs if they are willing to declare their assets,” he said.
