Saravanan: PKR's asset declaration a ploy, I'll do it after polls

GE15 | MIC deputy president M Saravanan says there is no need for him to declare his assets until he wins in the coming election.

He told Malaysiakini that Pakatan Harapan’s focus on asset declaration was a sign of desperation and weakness.

“When should someone declare his assets? I think the moment you hold public office, then you should declare your assets.

“Now I’m contesting, I don’t even know whether I am winning or losing. Once I win, then the possibility of holding office is brighter, then only I should declare assets.

“There is no reason for anyone to declare assets now. Why should I declare my assets for no reason if I go on to lose the election?” he said.

Saravanan (above) was responding to the move by PKR politicians in declaring their assets and publishing the information on a special website.

The website showed PKR president Anwar Ibrahim declared assets of more than RM11 million, while his wife, PKR advisory chairperson Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail has assets worth RM1.4 million.

Saravanan, BN’s candidate for Tapah, was not impressed.

“It doesn’t serve any purpose. You see the opposition trying many ways. This means they are desperate, they are really desperate.

“They just preparing themselves in case they lose the election,” he added.

“You see Anwar and his team going all over the country and saying there is a huge wave. Now suddenly they realise they won’t even get 60 or 70 seats. So they are preparing themselves.

“They start giving some excuses as usual, like before they said the light went off during the counting (and that affected the vote count). Now they are coming up with this new excuse that everyone should declare assets,” said Saravanan, who was the human resource minister in the outgoing cabinet.

Declare after govt formed

His viewpoint echoed that of Khairy Jamaluddin who recently said that BN candidates in the 15th general election (GE15) will only be required to declare their assets when they are appointed as cabinet members.

The Sungai Buloh candidate for BN said this was in line with the coalition’s practice, where the declaration of assets will be made after the government is formed.

“PKR wants to declare, go ahead, but their ally (DAP), is not doing it. So everyone has a stance. For BN, it is after being appointed to government positions,” he said.

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