CALLS for the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS)-led state government to make it compulsory for all state ministers and assemblymen to declare their assets are insincere and reeks of politics, said an assistant minister in the Chief Minister’s Office.

Abdullah Saidol, who is in charge of corporate affairs, said Bandar Kuching MP Kelvin Yii appeared to not know the steps taken by the state government since 2015 to combat corruption and power abuse.

Yii, a first-term DAP lawmaker, on Monday said Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg should make GPS ministers and lawmakers declare their assets “in the spirit of transparency and accountability to further help restore public confidence” in the state.

Abdullah, who is Semop assemblyman, reminded state Pakatan Harapan leaders that it was former chief minister Adenan Satem who was the first state chief executive in any state in Malaysia to sign the corporate integrity pledge on January 15, 2015.

His cabinet at the time, signed the same pledge before the then Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief Abu Kassim.

They also submitted their list of assets to Abu Kassim, he said.

In April of that year, all the state’s then Barisan Nasional lawmakers and political secretaries took the integrity pledge in line with Adenan administration to promote a clean and transparent governance.

“Sarawak is the first to take the step with Adenan’s pledge.”

Abdullah also pointed out that Adenan’s successor Abang Johari did the same when he became chief minister in 2017.

Fourteen days after coming into office, Abang Johari and his cabinet on January 25 signed a corruption-free pledge.

GPS MPs, state assemblymen and political secretaries also took the same pledge and declared their assets to the MACC.

In March of the same year, some 1,690 state civil servants followed suit.

Abdullah said the Sarawak is the only state government to have MACC trained and certified integrity officers posted at all at its ministries, government departments and statutory bodies.

“What else is there to do to show we do not abuse power and condone corruption?

“Do other states have what we have?

“If they think this is all ‘wayang’ (a puppet show), go and seek clarification with MACC,” he said. – July 3, 2019.