KUALA LUMPUR, July 23 — A Pakatan Harapan (PH) MP today demanded Opposition leader Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi declare his assets, like many of his party comrades.
Johor Baru MP Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir said as MPs have to lead by example, Ahmad Zahid, who is Bagan Datuk MP, should heed his call.
“If we refer to Sungai Petani MP’s call last week, he has given his commitment that the status of an Opposition leader will be raised to be equivalent to that of a minister.
“Whereas Pakatan Harapan ministers have also agreed to declare assets. Therefore, I feel it is proper that as a beginning, the Opposition leader also join in to declare his assets,” the first-term MP said when debating the King’s address in the Dewan Rakyat.
To combat corruption in government, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had on July 9, said his party’s lawmaker and Cabinet ministers will soon have to declare their assets to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
“There was a (court) decision before, that the prime minister is not a member of the administration (public servants), but we have decided that the prime minister and the deputy prime minister are members of the administration, together with members of the cabinet and representatives of the ruling party,” Malaysiakini quoted Dr Mahathir saying.
“They will not be spared. They all have to declare their assets and their income,” he reportedly said at a press conference in the Prime Minister’s Office, after a meeting with the special cabinet committee on anti-corruption.
Dr Mahathir said that another measure to combat graft, is to also make it mandatory for PH lawmakers to report any gifts they receive to the relevant authorities.
Dr Mahathir reportedly said that while items such as flowers, food items and commemorative plaques will be allowed as gifts, the MPs will nonetheless still be required to report the items to the authorities.
