Federal Territories Minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said he would not declare his assets publicly, fearing that doing so would make his family a target for criminals.

He said he and the Kuala Lumpur mayor Amin Nordin Abdul Aziz already declare their assets annually, although the declarations are not made public.

“I would not declare it to the public because I used to be a businessman. I have a lot of assets.

“I am not going to declare what I have, because if I do, I’m afraid that my children or wife may be kidnapped. All kinds of things can happen. Robbers could come after us,” he told reporters in Kuala Lumpur this morning.

He explained that he declares his assets annually to the prime minister, whereas the mayor declares his assets to the chief secretary of the federal government.

Tengku Adnan was responding to PKR communications director Fahmi Fadzil’s call on him and Amin Nordin last Friday to lead by example, by declaring their own assets to the public.

The call was in response to Tengku Adnan’s statement that each department in his ministry would review its asset declaration procedures and re-scrutinise its officers’ asset declaration forms, after a corruption scandal erupted in the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).

“I already declare it every year. The boy from PKR telling me to declare – I think there is something wrong with this head.

“We ministers and all senior officers have to declare (our assets),” Tengku Adnan said in response.

On Aug 16, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) remanded three senior government officials, including one ‘Datuk Seri’ title holder from the DBKL.

The trio was arrested for alleged graft on the day before, and the arrested DBKL officer was investigated under the Anti-Money Laundering, Ant-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.