DAP top leaders said today that there was “no such policy” in the party for all its elected representatives to declare their assets, stressing that existing party policy – namely, asset declarations by those in governmental positions – was sufficient.

The party’s national organising secretary Anthony Loke said it was “not our practice” for the party to require elected representatives to declare their assets, other than those in state executive councillor positions in opposition-led Penang and Selangor governments. 

“Those who are holding positions in the state government, they have to declare, that is the practice. There is no such policy (for other elected representatives),” he said when contacted today.

Selangor excos have been required to publicly declare their annual assets since 2009, while those in Penang have done so since 2012.

However, Penang chief minister and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng (photo) added that even lawmakers in the state who are not excos have come to adopt the practice.

“We have no qualms (about) doing it,” Lim told Malaysiakini.

The question of DAP declaring their assets arose after none of their representatives took part in an Invoke-led exercise for 14th general election candidates to make their wealth public.

28 representatives from PKR, Amanah and PAS signed the asset declaration pledge with the PKR-linked electoral activism and research group.

The assets of 17 of the representatives can now be publicly assessed and downloaded online.

Invoke founder Rafizi Ramli explained that the exercise was not meant to target DAP, as they held many safe seats.

Meanwhile, newly-minted DAP deputy chairperson Gobind Singh Deo said that having its lawmakers nationwide declare their assets publicly was “something which will be discussed in the central executive committee soon.”

‘Zero chance’ of abusing power

DAP international secretary and Kulai MP Teo Nie Ching (photo) defended existing party policy, and contended that there was no need for MPs like her who do not sit on the state legislative council to declare their assets as there were “literally zero” chances for the abuse of power to occur.

“If there is a need for the public to know, then, of course, we will declare.

“But if there is no chance for them (representatives) to unjustly enrich themselves, then I don’t think we should make it (asset declaration) compulsory.

“There is always a need to strike a balance between personal privacy and public accountability,” she explained.

Deputy secretary-general and Seputeh MP Teresa Kok echoed Teo’s comments, adding that backbenchers were in no position or power to approve projects and licenses.

“The idea of asset declaration mainly is to show transparency, to show that as someone in approving authority of projects and licenses did not use their position to enrich themselves.

“But for backbenchers our income is fixed...and we don’t have the power to approve anything. As long as are not involved in all that, it (asset declaration) doesn’t make sense,” she said.