Spouses and family members of cabinet ministers will soon be required to declare their assets to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to ensure integrity in the administration of the government, according to a report in The Star.

MACC advisory panel chairperson Zaitun Zawiyah Puteh told reporters at the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya today that Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has agreed to this in principle and hoped it would be implemented soon.

The advisory board also suggested that a copy of the declaration of assets by members of the federal administration, including cabinet members, be kept by MACC.

"So, we propose to the prime minister to extend a copy of the asset declaration forms sent to the Prime Minister's Department to be kept by MACC," she told a media conference today.

According to Bernama, Zaitun Zawiyah said the move would facilitate investigations by the MACC should there by any complaint of corruption.

She said the board had proposed the matter to the prime minister during a discussion last Dec 12.

Zaitun Zawiyah said the requirement for the asset declaration, which also covered assets and liabilities of spouses and children, should be made under oath.

"If the declaration involves assets belonging to the individuals concerned alone, the property and assets can be transferred to the names of their spouses or children," she said and expressed the hope that it could be implemented soon.

Opposition: Make it public

Zaitun Zawiyah said that for a start, the requirement would only be for members of the federal administration and hoped that the move would also be carried out by the state governments later on.

On the declaration of assets by the Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and the state executive councillors, Zaitun Zawiyah said: "I think they should include family members because, if individual alone, it is not sufficient".

"If they have nothing to hide why not," she added.

The opposition has demanded federal cabinet members to follow its lead by making their assets declarations public, instead sending the declarations only to the prime minister.

Zaitun Zawiyah also proposed that all political financing be made directly into the party's account, instead of individual's.

"This is because the donations are for party's expenses not individual's. The party account can subsequently be audited."