Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today said the asset declaration for serving Barisan Nasional (BN) members of Parliament would include their spouses (wives if more than one), children, siblings and trustees.

He said this is the first time the declaration of assets for MPs, done every two years to the prime minister, encompasses immediate and extended family members.

Those concerned have until the end of May to submit their declaration to the prime minister but it will not be revealed to the public.

"The MPs will have to declare their direct interests in the company or companies, the value of their investments and type of business," he told reporters after launching a two-day ethics seminar for all 198 BN parliamentarians in Kuala Lumpur.

"This code is not final, but it will do for now. We can always improve on it later if necessary."

The launch was attended by almost all government MPs.

Battling temptations

The 19-page declaration form, based on the copy of the booklet distributed to the media, requires personal and financial details of spouses, siblings, parents and parents-in-law, children and dependents.

The parties are also required to declare all sources of income and expenditure, both local and abroad, debts and liabilities as well as a detailed statement of assets.

The code includes provisions of parliamentary duties, conduct in official capacity and general behaviour.

Abdullah said the code was aimed at holding MPs to their oath of office and the BN manifesto. A failure to observe the code, he warned, would result in "some sort of action" but did not elaborate.

"(But) I don't see why they would not want to comply with it because it's for their own good."

He was confident that the code would improve the quality of service and serve as a reminder against temptations.

"The bigger the power you wield, the greater the temptation (to do wrong), and temptation will come from all angles," he said.

The MPs were advised to become incorruptible, maintain a clean professional record, earn the people's respect and to have the objective of raising the quality of life for all Malaysians.

This, said the prime minister, includes prompt and proper attendance in Parliament, better prepared MPs and indepth debates.

Each MP is also expected to submit his or her own report card to Abdullah every three months for assessment, including their compliance with the code of ethics.

'Don't bluff'

Abdullah said the reports would be in a computerised format for easy reference and he would make the final analysis before issuing any recommendations on the areas that need to be improved.

"Don't bluff... you can bet (that) I'll know if you bluff or don't do your work. Be honest to yourself. It's for your own good, not for me," he advised the MPs.

The prime minister repeatedly urged all MPs, especially newcomers to the cabinet, to have a good working knowledge of all policies and not to consider any of them in isolation.

Abdullah also spoke at length about playing a more effective role in parliament, with focus on enhancing the quality of debates.

He urged the MPs to be well-versed in the standing orders and related procedures.

He also proposed an increase to the number of parliamentary select committees so that bills go through a more thorough process of careful deliberations and comprehensive recommendations.

Citing the then anti-drugs bill, Abdullah said the select committee had done a lot of work on gathering feedback and preparing the arguments due to the gravity of the penalty - mandatory death.

Earlier during his speech, he said there would be no need for an opposition if the BN parliamentarians could improve their quality of work and public service.

"We should be able to criticise our own (bad) policies or any wrongs as a sort of check and balance."

Then, he said, the people will not turn around and blame the BN for having too many MPs without proper accountability.

"Our job is to serve the people and serve them well, not just for the fun of being a wakil rakyat," he added.

Abdullah also announced that Mohamad Zahir Ismail will continue to serve as Dewan Rakyat Speaker for the coming term.