Assets declarations: Don't forget liabilities, says TI
Published: Apr 1, 2008 5:51 PM | Updated: Apr 1, 2008 7:07 PM
All elected representatives and appointed government officials should declare their liabilities as well as their assets, said corruption watchdog Transparency International Malaysia today.
But in a marked departure from common practice, TI suggests that assets accumulated by politicians before they are elected be excluded from the declarations.
All elected representatives and appointed government officials should declare their liabilities as well as their assets, said corruption watchdog Transparency International Malaysia today.
“This is important as we need to establish the ‘net worth’ of declarants as some cunning people can sometimes borrow much more than their assets and get away with corruption!” said TI president Ramon Navaratnam in a statement today.
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had announced two weeks ago that all cabinet ministers and deputy ministers would have to declare publicly their assets twice during the five-year parliamentary term.
While welcoming the announcement, Ramon said the declarations should be updated on a continuous basis instead of just once every two years.
“The public should be made instantly aware when these officials and their immediate family members (including spouses, their children and their spouses) acquire new assets or liabilities,” Ramon said.
To be effective and fair to the elected representatives however, Ramon suggested that total net assets belonging to the elected representatives exclude what had been accumulated before they took their oath of office.
This is a marked departure from similar assets declarations requirement in other Asian countries where elected officials have to bare all.
“There are some risks involved in public declarations as the public knowledge of a person's assets and liabilities can expose the individuals concerned to safety and security threats and dangers,” explained Ramon.
“Thus, all elected or appointed public officials will start on ‘a clean sheet’.
“However, this clean sheet or ‘zero base’ concept will not exempt and exonerate those officials who had accumulated ill gotten gains in the past from ACA investigation and/or prosecution,” Ramon added.
Make ACA fully independent
On the subject of the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) - which currently comes under the Prime Minister’s Department - Ramon urged for the government to make the agency fully independent so as to enable it to combat corruption more effectively.
“This move will give the ACA greater strength and credibility and encourage much greater public support,” he said.
Ramon also said that for the strategic execution of the battle against corruption “all the relevant laws have to be scrutinised and amended to combat corruption on all fronts.”
This would include putting into place a Freedom of Information Act and a Whistleblowers’ Protection Act, he said.
“We should take up the war against corruption with the same zeal that we did so triumphantly in winning the war against communist terrorists. The war against corruption must take on with the same or higher political will.
“TI hopes that the government will adopt a new and more innovative strategy to combat and win the war against corruption - before it overwhelms Malaysia and all Malaysians, and undermines our good prospects for a more united, progressive and prosperous Malaysia.”
“This is important as we need to establish the ‘net worth’ of declarants as some cunning people can sometimes borrow much more than their assets and get away with corruption!” said TI president Ramon Navaratnam in a statement today.
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had announced two weeks ago that all cabinet ministers and deputy ministers would have to declare publicly their assets twice during the five-year parliamentary term.
While welcoming the announcement, Ramon said the declarations should be updated on a continuous basis instead of just once every two years.
“The public should be made instantly aware when these officials and their immediate family members (including spouses, their children and their spouses) acquire new assets or liabilities,” Ramon said.
To be effective and fair to the elected representatives however, Ramon suggested that total net assets belonging to the elected representatives exclude what had been accumulated before they took their oath of office.This is a marked departure from similar assets declarations requirement in other Asian countries where elected officials have to bare all.
“There are some risks involved in public declarations as the public knowledge of a person's assets and liabilities can expose the individuals concerned to safety and security threats and dangers,” explained Ramon.
“Thus, all elected or appointed public officials will start on ‘a clean sheet’.
“However, this clean sheet or ‘zero base’ concept will not exempt and exonerate those officials who had accumulated ill gotten gains in the past from ACA investigation and/or prosecution,” Ramon added.
Make ACA fully independent
On the subject of the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) - which currently comes under the Prime Minister’s Department - Ramon urged for the government to make the agency fully independent so as to enable it to combat corruption more effectively.
“This move will give the ACA greater strength and credibility and encourage much greater public support,” he said.
Ramon also said that for the strategic execution of the battle against corruption “all the relevant laws have to be scrutinised and amended to combat corruption on all fronts.”
This would include putting into place a Freedom of Information Act and a Whistleblowers’ Protection Act, he said.
“We should take up the war against corruption with the same zeal that we did so triumphantly in winning the war against communist terrorists. The war against corruption must take on with the same or higher political will.
“TI hopes that the government will adopt a new and more innovative strategy to combat and win the war against corruption - before it overwhelms Malaysia and all Malaysians, and undermines our good prospects for a more united, progressive and prosperous Malaysia.”
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