PRIME Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has instructed ministers and their deputies to declare their assets to him.

He said he will then pass on the information to the relevant agencies.

“We have agreed that the administration – ministers, deputy ministers and political secretaries – must declare their assets.

“The declaration (report) will be given to me, but I can’t keep the report. It must be given to the relevant agencies dealing with corruption,” he said at the Prime Minister’s Office today.

If the asset declarations are available only to the prime minister, it would go against the Pakatan Harapan practice of making public the worth of its officials.

Selangor was among the first states to introduce asset declarations to the public in 2009, while Penang set the rule in place when the now defunct Pakatan Rakyat captured the state.

Asked why the asset declarations will not be made public, the PH chairman said the matter is being studied.

“We are going to find ways to formulate the rules regarding gifts and other things.”

He added that civil servants are no longer allowed to receive gifts other than flowers, fruits and food.

“It can be flowers, it can be food, it can be fruits. But nothing more than that. Reject cars and other things.

“Senior officials are also not allowed to accept gifts.”

Dr Mahathir said the matter was decided in the Cabinet Committee on Anti-Corruption meeting.

He also announced that the government will set up the State Governance, Integrity and Anti-Corruption Centre, to be headed by former top graft-buster Abu Kassim Mohamed.

To curb money politics, Abu Kassim said, a political financing bill will be drafted.

Present at the meeting today were Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Home Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng. – June 8, 2018.