Opposition MPs shouldn't be forced to reveal assets: Bersatu leader

Summary

• Bersatu information chief Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz says opposition MPs should not be compelled to declare their assets as they are not involved directly in government allocations.

• He also claims it was more likely for government MPs to abuse funds compared to opposition lawmakers.

Opposition MPs should not be compelled to declare their assets as they are not involved directly in government allocations, said Bersatu information chief Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz today.

“In terms of the process, our allocations don’t come from the opposition but from the government, specifically the finance minister.

“It’s not easy to misuse the allocations as we are monitored by agencies such as the Public Accounts Committee, the National Audit Department, and MACC.

“Unlike the prime minister, his deputies or backbenchers, we don’t hold any positions in government agencies or GLCs.

“As such, government MPs are more likely to abuse allocations compared to the opposition,” he said in a statement today.

‘Extraordinary, restrictive terms’

Perikatan Nasional has been going back and forth with Putrajaya about equal funding for all MPs since the previous general election.

Terms presented to PN in a draft memorandum of understanding last September include having to make asset declarations and not touching on 3R (race, religion, royalty) issues in exchange for constituency development funds.

PN rejected the terms outright last year.

On Sunday, PN chief Muhyiddin Yassin brought up the matter again and claimed the terms were “extraordinary” and “restrictive”.

On that note, Faisal said constituency allocation for opposition MPs should not rely on any agreements with the government.

He also pointed out that equal allocation for MPs was promised by the prime minister and his party in their election manifesto.

“Therefore, the allocations must be given transparently without any conditions attached to it.

“And it should not include undemocratic principles which would affect MPs' freedom of expression,” he stressed.

In September last year, Deputy Prime Minister II Fadillah Yusof revealed the content of the government’s memorandum of understanding on opposition allocation after PN unanimously rejected the draft.

This came after opposition leader Hamzah Zainudin claimed that the draft had potentially affected some provisions in the Federal Constitution.

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