Motion for senators to declare assets passed with 34 ayes, 23 nays

The majority of senators voted in favour of a motion compelling members of the Upper House to declare their assets to the speaker and MACC within three months.

In a block voting this evening, 34 senators supported it while 23 were against the motion. This was after 17 members of the Dewan Negara debated on the issue for about four hours.

A similar motion, the Code of Ethics for Administrative Members and MPs, was passed in the Dewan Rakyat on July 1 with a voice vote.

Pakatan Harapan senators appeared to have come out in full force to vote on this motion. The ruling coalition holds a slim majority over the opposition in the Dewan Negara.

Back in September 2018, the repeal of the Anti-Fake News Act was defeated in the Dewan Negara, when BN senators outnumbered their Harapan counterparts.

The composition of senators has changed since then with terms having expired and new senators being appointed.

During the debate on the motion, Umno senator Khairul Azwan Harun, who was the first to debate, said there are more substantial ways to strengthen the integrity of parliamentarians aside from compelling them to declare their assets.

He pointed out that the BN administration had a similar code of ethics for parliamentarians since 2014.

“This is no more than a rebranding, no more than a strategic communications scheme by Harapan to show that they champion the issue of integrity so much.

“I suggest we reject this motion and strengthen other laws such as those under the MACC that are more important,” he argued.

The Umno man also raised safety concerns for senators who might have had lucrative careers before being appointed to the Dewan Negara.

Amanah senator Raj Munni Sabu questioned why Khairul was opposed to the motion, claiming that if rejected, it would create the perception that senators are afraid to declare their assets.

In a posting on Twitter later, Deputy Defence Minister Liew Chin Tong, who is also a senator, described it as unfortunate that BN has become a “reactionary force” via the Upper House of Parliament. - Mkini