TWENTY-FOUR new members of the Penang Pakatan Harapan government, including three excos appointed after the May 9 polls this year, have declared their assets.

The three excos are Deputy Chief Minister I Ahmad Zakiyuddin Abdul Rahman; domestic trade and international trade, consumer affairs and entrepreneurial development exco Abdul Halim Hussain; and public works and flood mitigation exco Zairil Khir Johari.

Details of their declarations can be viewed on the state government website www.penang.gov.my under “Topik Popular” (popular topics).

The information contains the value of properties, vehicles, and shares they own.

“The declarations as of May 31 only involve the three new excos and 21 new assemblymen.

“The other 13 excos and assemblymen had already declared their assets in January this year,” Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said in a press conference at the state assembly building.

On why the salaries and other incomes were not included in the declarations, he said it would not be a problem to disclose the information in future.

On whether the state had asked three opposition representatives from Umno and PAS to declare their assets, Chow said the state government could not force them.

“It is up to them if they want to declare their assets too. If they do, they will be the first (in the opposition) in the country to do so.”

Public asset declarations have been the practice of the state government since 2011.

The practice began with only the chief minister and state excos having to declare their assets, but it was extended to all state assemblymen from PH in 2012 and January this year.

Chow said the information supplied by the elected representatives was audited by the auditor Grant Thornton.

Asked if he would suggest to the federal government to also have ministers and MPs declare their assets, including their properties and other wealth, Chow, who is also Tanjong MP, said it was up to Putrajaya.

“As an MP, I have already declared my assets. It is up to the government to disclose the information,” he said.

Putrajaya recently publicly disclosed only the salaries of its ministers and MPs, which led to criticism of lack of transparency.

Public asset declaration was one of the many promises PH made in its GE14 election manifesto. – November 12, 2018.