The Selangor legislature has shot down assemblyperson Teng Chang Kim's attempt to introduce a 'Sunshine Bill' to compel fellow elected representatives and local councillors to declare their assets.

The DAP representative for Sungei Pinang was informed in a letter received yesterday that his draft bill - entitled 'Declaration of Family Income and Asset Enactment 2007' - is beyond the powers of the legislative assembly.

Invoking provision 27(5)(b) of the Standing Orders (pertaining to power to reject motions), assembly speaker Onn Ismail wrote that the bill "goes outside the jurisdiction of the state legislative assembly by (proposing) laws that are already covered at the federal level".

This came a day after Teng announced that he had submitted the bill to the state assembly on Nov 5, to be tabled when it reconvenes on Monday.

The bill was modeled on laws that have been in existence in South Korea and in Taiwan, where it is known as the 'Sunshine Law'.

If passed, all local government councillors, state assemblypersons and executive council members would be subjected to an annual income and asset declaration that would be gazetted, and therefore made available for public inspection.

Teng's view, however, is that his proposal was rejected because the bill also covers members of parliament and senators elected by the state assembly - thereby exceeding the state assembly's powers.

'Ridiculous decision'

The rejection of the whole bill on such "ridiculous" technical grounds has revealed the real intent of the ruling coalition, Teng said when contacted yesterday.

"It's ridiculous. The bill I moved would cover others (elected and appointed government officials) who are not covered at the federal level," he said.

"Amendments can be made at a later stage if these are really considered necessary. You don't have to throw out the whole thing because of such technicalities."

He is now considering lodging a complaint with Dewan Rakyat speaker Ramli Ngah Talib in his capacity as head of all the speakers of state assemblies.

"This is an abuse of the provisions in the Standing Orders," Teng said.

He returns to the Selangor assembly on Monday, following a 30-month suspension imposed in April 2005 after he refused to apologise for throwing the Standing Orders into a waste basket.