PKR MP fears for family's safety after asset declaration

Prior to the 14th General Election, Edmund Santhara Kumar sent his family overseas for fear that he might end up in jail if he was elected Segamat MP while BN remained in power.

Santhara's (above) original plan was for his wife and three children to stay abroad for one year.

However, 18 months after Pakatan Harapan took power, Santhara and his wife decided it is not safe for their children to return home.

He attributed his safety concern to the asset declaration practice pushed by the Pakatan Harapan government and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) which started in November 2018 for better accountability and transparency.

Santhara was labelled the richest MP with assets totalling RM132.83 million as of March.

He only travelled overseas to meet his family occasionally and vice versa. When his children are here, the anxiety-laden father said he could not allow his children out of his sight even if they were only out shopping at a mall.

This was unlike before when he would train his eight-year-old to go to the toilet on his own.

He claimed his lifestyle had changed ever since as he no longer feels safe eating roti canai by himself.

"I have been receiving joint venture investment proposals ranging from RM200 to hundreds of millions on a daily basis," he told Malaysiakini in an interview.

He said he would turn down these proposals citing that he no longer does business in Malaysia.

Similarly, he also constantly receives requests for donations.

"Those days, people were happy when I gave RM1,000 but now when I fork out the same amount from my personal money, they say 'you are stingy'

"If my old school friends call me for a cup of coffee, at the end it is always about the money," he said.

Santhara lamented that things have gotten ugly after one or two callers went to the extent of threatening to kidnap his children after he turned down their requests.

"People have called me at night to ask for money. When I say no, they threaten to kidnap my child. That was six months back," he said.

According to Santhara, he did not lodge a police report as his previous complaints have yet to be resolved.

He said people do not understand that assets also include properties that were bought a long time ago which have appreciated in value.

He thought of resigning but can't do so as this will lead to a by-election.

Soon after Harapan came into power, MACC met with lawmakers on asset declaration and they were told that only the asset of administrative lawmakers would be made public, as ordinary MPs could not affect government contracts.

"However, it was decided that the assets of all government lawmakers were to be made public," he said.

Without naming who, Santhara said other MPs were also worried about their family members and their own safety too.

Despite these difficulties and harassment, Santhara insisted that the asset declaration practice must continue, but with some modification.

"What is the objective of asset declaration? To stop people from abusing their position to accumulate wealth," he said.

As such, he suggested the lawmakers continue to declare all their assets to the government and MACC, but only part of the information - the incremental asset from the day they are elected - should be made public.

The government can go for a band scale on asset instead of making public the absolute figure of the asset.

He felt this will be safer for lawmakers and their family as well as taking into consideration their need for information protection.

He said the proposal can be imposed in the new parliamentary term after GE15.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Liew Vui Keong was reported as saying the opposition MPs' fear for not declaring was unfounded as there has not been a single case of extortion or kidnapping involving ministers, MPs or their family members.

When asked about this, Santhara said: "That is his opinion and he has not put himself in my shoes."

Malaysiakini has attempted to call Liew for comment.

In July, the Dewan Rakyat passed a motion for all MPs to declare their assets. The deadline for the MPs to do so is Dec 5, which was extended from Oct 1.

The MPs can be hauled to face the Parliamentary Rights and Privileges Committee if they fail to comply, and face suspension.

Public asset declaration is one of the reforms brought about by the Pakatan Harapan government in a bid to curb corruption among elected representatives and the executive.

Before this, only cabinet members declared their assets to the MACC, who in turn shared the information with the prime minister.

In the BN era, ministers deflected from publicly declaring their assets citing security reasons such as fearing that their children would be kidnapped. - Mkini