KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 1 — Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng is still leading Pakatan Harapan (PH) ministers and MPs in terms of monthly income at RM86,464.92, as Works Minister Baru Bian has clarified that he had mistakenly over-declared his income.
When contacted, Baru told Malay Mail that the RM108,056 figure that was listed by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) as his total monthly income is “wrong”.
The first-term federal minister explained that this was due to his mistake of including his allowance as Selangau MP in his monthly income, even when it ceased to be given to him after he assumed a ministerial post.
“In fact, the first month before I became minister, I was given MP’s allowance. So I added my MP’s allowance.
“After I became minister, there is only allowance for ministers, but no allowance for MPs. But I didn’t know, so I found out that’s wrong. So we called MACC, we (will be) sending a corrective declaration by tomorrow,” he told Malay Mail.
Baru also told Malay Mail that the actual figure should be around RM83,000, and also includes his income from his law firm.
As it is no longer office hours, the corrected declaration can only be sent to the MACC tomorrow.
The MACC had set up an asset declaration portal to display the assets declared by members of the federal administration and MPs from the ruling Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition and its allies to “prove the government leadership’s transparency”.
The MACC portal has been updating the public list incrementally from the initial 48 names at around 2pm today, to 85 names as of 8pm.
This would mean that around 40 names together with their monthly income have yet to be uploaded, if all PH MPs, ministers and deputy ministers are presumed to have submitted their monthly income and asset declaration to the MACC.
Based on the latest available list of 8pm, Lim is still in the top spot, followed by Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail (RM77,629.68), Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad (RM75,861.57), Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow (RM73,576.15), and Home Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin (RM72,276.37).
At sixth place is Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali (RM69,186.48), followed by Primary Industries Minister Teresa Kok (RM68,142.66), Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi (RM67,483.43), Transport Minister Anthony Loke (RM64,569.81) and PKR MP Datuk Mansor Othman (RM60,719).
Baru only realised today his error of double-declaring his allowance as an MP, writing on his official Twitter account that he was “in the process of filing a corrective declaration. I can’t be ahead the finance minister.”
Based on the incorrect figure of over RM100,000, Baru would have overtaken Lim for the top spot at over RM86,000.
When asked whether the “total income” listed on MACC’s website includes his assets, Baru explained that the figure only covered his pay and allowances as an MP, minister as well as his other income via his law firm.
Baru confirmed that assets such as properties or shares would be considered separately from the declared monthly income, adding that he had declared his assets to the MACC.
He confirmed that the MACC portal only listed his total monthly income, and not his assets.
Members of the public had earlier highlighted that the figures listed on the MACC portal may not actually reflect the total assets owned by the MPs and members of the federal government.
