Pahang, Selangor PAS back asset declaration move
Ida Lim, The Malaysian Insider
PAS Youth’s idea to declare their assets gained speed today as the Islamist party chiefs in Pahang and Selangor announced today their support for the initiative—a move that is likely to increase the pressure on their Barisan Nasional (BN) foes, namely Umno, to be equally transparent.
The party appears to be taking the lead in getting its candidates to reveal their assets, even as intense campaigning for the coming elections goes on, with the issue of battling corruption being a core campaign issue for political parties.
Declaring Pahang PAS’ support for the party’s youth wing’s proposal for assets declaration, Pahang commissioner Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man (picture) said this move would help candidates in their contest against political foes that “like to hide”.
“PAS leaders and candidates have to be presented in a transparent and reputable way to fight opponents that like to hide.
“This asset declaration gives an opportunity to the people to choose clearly and without suspicion the candidates that will represent them in DUN (state assembly) and in Parliament,” Tuan Ibrahim, who is also the PAS information chief, told the party paper Harakah today.
Selangor PAS chief Dr Rani Osman has also joined the asset declaration queue.
“Selangor PAS’ candidates for GE13 will also declare their assets to be evaluated by the people and to fight Umno,” he told Harakah today.
The annoucement from Pahang and Selangor comes after PAS secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali praised PAS Youth for the initiative, describing it as in line with the principle of transparency and resposibility as recommended by Islam.
“PAS has long practised this matter internally which involves those in public office like the mentri besar and the excos. It is good for this matter if done openly,” Mustafa told Harakah yesterday.
PAS Youth has proposed that its executive council members declare their assets at its next assembly this week, a move that is calculated to raise its public profile and pressure its political peers to do the same in the run-up to the 13th general elections (GE13).
The conservative Dewan Pemuda PAS was reported to have mooted the idea last week in what is seen as a challenge to other political parties as they seek to temper the public’s image of them as radical Islamists opposed to flesh-baring foreign artistes at concerts here and promote themselves as capable progressive Muslim leaders in tune with current issues.
“There’s a big possibility we will have an asset declaration ceremony. At the muktamar this time. With the hope it will pave the way for all PAS leadership,” the wing’s secretary, Khairul Faizi Ahmad Kamil, was reported as saying by Harakah on Friday.
