I propose that all future Members of Parliament, including ministers, and State Assemblymen, including Mentris Besar, should submit a statutory declaration of their current assets to the Speaker who will then table it in the Parliament or State Assembly. Then a copy of this should be made available to the members of the Press. (By the way the word “besar” means “big”. Who is big? This term should be dropped and they should be only called Ketua Mentri or Chief Minister of a particular state.)

Also a copy of this asset declaration should be sent to the Inland Revenue Board so that the board can keep an eye on their submission of income, etc. Such is the requirement in the UK, US, Canada, Australia, India and many Commonwealth countries.

Nasser Hamid
Via e-mail

Source: The Sun – March 3, 2008