Mahathir: Ministers, deputies, officials must declare assets

Prime minister says government officers from now on must not hold more than five positions in agencies and subsidiaries.

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad says some officials were holding up to 68 positions. (Bernama pic)

PUTRAJAYA: Cabinet ministers, deputy ministers, political secretaries and government officials must declare their assets to the prime minister.

In making the announcement, Dr Mahathir Mohamad said agencies entrusted with corruption prevention would be privy to all the information that is given.

“The prime minister cannot conceal corruption committed by officers or administrators,” he said after chairing a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Government Management Integrity at Perdana Putra here today.

Also present were Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Home Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng, and Governance, Integrity and Anti-Corruption Centre (GIACC) director-general Abu Kassim Mohamed.

Mahathir said the meeting also decided that government officials must not hold more than five positions.

According to the prime minister, the government found that some officials were holding up to 68 positions.

“This will be reduced. Cannot be more than five (positions each). In fact, we don’t even encourage two or three,” he said.

“Actually one position should suffice but we cannot avoid needing some officials to hold positions in government subsidiaries,” he said.

Mahathir said government administrators and high-ranking officers were also not allowed to receive any gift. Action would be taken against both the giver and receiver if this happened.

“If anyone wants to give me a gift, I won’t take. I’m afraid of Abu Kassim. But can gift me with flowers, food or fruits. Not more than that. We will refuse, cars and all,” he said in jest.

Mahathir said MACC would remain as an independent body to fight corruption in the country even with the establishment of GIACC.

“Coordination yes, but no cooperation,” he replied when asked whether GIACC would work hand-in-hand with MACC.

Meanwhile, Mahathir said Pakatan Harapan (PH) was serious in its efforts to curb embezzlement in the administration which had caused the government to lose a considerable amount of funds.

“One case involved a company supplying electrical items to a school in a RM1 billion contract. The company did not do anything but had already claimed the money from the government,” he said. -FMT