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The Star - April 4, 2008
Group wants Selangor
government to be specific
PETALING JAYA: Transparency International-Malaysia
(TI-M) has lauded the Selangor Government for taking the
lead in becoming more transparent, but feels that it
needs to be more specific in its efforts.
TI-M president Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam said he strongly
recommended that Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid
Ibrahim and members of his exco declare their assets on
the Internet and “update it daily if necessary.”
“If they are prepared to be general, why can’t they be
more specific? I find it rather disappointing,” he said
yesterday.
Khalid announced on Wednesday that he and members of his
exco would declare their personal assets as well as
those under the names of their spouses and children
below the age of 21.
Khalid said only information related to the value of the
assets would be made available to the public, but the
Government and Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) can have the
details of the assets.
Ramon, however, stressed that “they must give a reason
as to why they are only being general.”
As for assets and liabilities acquired before their
appointments, he said he understood it might be unfair
for the exco members to have to declare them “as the
information might be used by some unscrupulous parties
to attack them.”
“But if there are complaints as to how their assets were
previously acquired, it doesn’t mean they are free from
investigations.
“The ACA should still follow up,” he said.
Ramon also said that Khalid and his exco members should
declare their assets and liabilities in full “to start
from a clean slate beginning from the day of their
appointment.”
“There’s nothing wrong with buying a house from your own
savings.”
Ramon added that the Federal Government and the other
states should emulate Selangor because “at least they
are doing something about it.”
Selangor MCA chief Datuk Ch’ng Toh Eng said Khalid
should make all details pertaining to his assets and
that of his exco members available to the public.
“He should abide by his party’s election manifesto that
promised transparency.
“When I became an exco member, my asset declaration was
made public on the Internet.
“I urge Khalid and his exco members to do the same,”
said Ch’ng.
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