PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli has sent a letter to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak urging him to declare his assets under the Statutory Declarations (SD) Act 1960.

"If you truly love the country, empathise with the rakyat and are a God-fearing man, you would not hesitate to be the first to declare your assets in this method.

"It would not only set a good example for everyone to follow, it would also clear you and your family's name, which has been affected by news of the RM2.6 billion in your personal account," Rafizi said in the letter dated Dec 19.

Describing it as his "love letter to Najib", the Pandan MP said the letter was sent to Najib's office in Putrajaya as well as to the Prime Minister's Office email and facsimile.

Rafizi himself had declared his assets for the year 2016 on Nov 30, under the SD Act.

He said the most effective way to fight political corruption is not through the proposed Political Funding Act but for politicians to declare their assets under the SD Act every year.

"(This is) because asset declarations should be made public and not kept in a drawer and then used as a weapon to silence any internal dissent, when asset declaration is only made to the prime minister as it is now," Rafizi said.

When an asset declaration is made under the SD Act, then if there are any undeclared assets, authorities such as Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), the police, Bank Negara Malaysia and even the Internal Revenue Board (LHDN) can probe the declaration, he said.

That way, if anyone lies or tries to hide their assets in their declaration, the authorities can take legal action against these individuals under the SD Act for lying in a statutory declaration, he explained.

Rafizi has also written a similar letter urging asset declaration to all parliamentarians, all cabinet members, head of states and all excos and assemblypersons.

He also mentioned that he will be including his letter to Najib to them, so that they will realise the rakyat's hope and desire for politicians to be clean and transparent.

The letters will be sent out in batches, Rafizi added.

He implored Najib to respond to his letter by Jan 20, 2017, so that his NGO Invoke can compile a list of those who have declared their assets and the ones who failed to do so.

Rafizi declared his assets last year and this year, while Amanah's Parit Buntar MP Mujahid Yusof Rawa followed suit.

Pakatan leaders such as Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy have also declared their assets in the past.

PSM's Sungai Siput MP Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj is the only MP to have consistently declared his assets.