THE low number of opposition MPs declaring their assets has prompted Putrajaya to extend the deadline, said a source.

“So far, only Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) MPs and a few from PAS have declared their assets to Parliament.

“As such, the deadline is extended until the end of this session on December 5,” said the source.

A check on the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission website showed that only the government MPs and their spouses have declared their assets.

The website did not show filings from any of the other 83 opposition MPs.

Barisan Nasional has 41 MPs while GPS and PAS have 18 each.

The others are from United Sabah Alliance (three), Sarawak United Party (one) and independents (two).

After the morning’s question-and-answer session, the government tabled a motion to extend the deadline.

The motion was tabled by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law) Liew Vui Keong.

On July 1, Parliament adopted a motion to make it compulsory for all legislators to declare their wealth within three months despite complaints from the opposition.

Opposition MPs said they agreed in principle that members had to declare their assets, but insisted the motion was flawed as it had no legal basis. – November 26, 2019.