KUCHING: Parliament should enact a law to compel all head of government departments and government-linked corporations to declare their assets, suggests Sarawak Patriot Association (SPA) president Datuk John Lau Pang Heng.
This proposition was made in light of the federal government’s approval of the motion to make it compulsory for all members of parliament (MPs) to declare their assets.
“Corruption is a key threat to good governance, democratic processes and fair business competition. Thus, fighting corruption and promoting good public governance are among the main priorities of our nation,” Lau said in an exclusive interview with New Sarawak Tribune.
He added that to address corruption, Malaysia needs to adopt a multi-disciplinary approach which encompasses eradicating bribery of public officials as well as combating the corruption of fiscal policies, public and private sector governance, development aid, and export credits.
“During the debate on the motion, MPs were free to express their views. MPs not under Pakatan Harapan (PH) expressed their concerns, and requested for a law to be enacted prior to the implementation of the motion,” Lau noted.
“However, I noticed in a video that there was no opposition to the motion. This illustrates the maturity of the MPs,” he commented.
He noted that in Europe, all politicians were mandated to declare their assets, adding, “Even when I was working for a German company from 1987 to 1998, I would also declare my assets.”
Lau applauded that the Malaysian Parliament was now undergoing a process of transformation and renewal, which would pave the way towards an improved Malaysia.
On behalf of SPA, he congratulated the Sarawak government for taking the initiative in urging cabinet ministers and assemblymen to declare their assets to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) back in 2015 in support of transparency in governance.
Political analyst Datuk Peter Minos also shared his input on the matter, stating that if MPs are required to submit a declaration of assets, then there should be no issue if government department heads are also required to do so.
“If one has obtained his assets by legal means, what is there to fear?” he questioned.
“The whole intention behind asset declaration is to prevent or detect hanky-panky assets. In that sense, it is indeed a wise move for our society and nation,” Minos said.
