Paul Low Should Not Adopt BN’s Culture Of Lies By Claiming That Cabinet Members Should Not Publicly Disclose Their Assets Like Penang PR State Government As Penang’s Process Was Informal.(en/bm/cn)

Press Statement By Penang Chief Minister and DAP Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng In Kuala Lumpur On 19.5 2013

Newly-minted Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Paul Low should not adapt so quickly from President of Malaysian Transparency International to BN spokesman by being adept in BN’s culture of lies in explaining why Cabinet members should not publicly disclose their assets. Paul Low lied when the said that Penang Chief Minister and state exco members’ public declaration of assets whilst positive was ‘informal’ because officials who fail to declare their assets would not be penalised, or if the declaration is significantly inaccurate in reflecting a person’s wealth.

I wish to remind Paul Low that when he was Malaysian Transparency International President, he had lauded the Penang state government’s leaders for being the first government in Malaysia to publicly declare their assets. Instead of adopting a similar measure to uphold public integrity in the Federal government, why is he taking a different position now?

Penang’s public declaration assets are certified by an international accounting firm and a pledge signed by the EXCO members that they provided true and correct information. All EXCO members who fail to declare their assets will be unceremoniously sacked. Isn’t that a sufficiently harsh penalty to ensure full compliance?

The Penang state government has taken a step further by now requiring all elected Penang State Assemblymen, not just EXCO members to publicly declare their assets. Now that Paul Low is a BN Minister, he has swallowed the BN propaganda “hook, line and sinker” that publicly declaration of assets would threaten the personal security of Cabinet members.

What have Cabinet members have to hide? Penang state leaders have public declared their assets and yet our personal security has not been harmed. Perhaps it is because our assets are pitifully few to make much of an impact. If at all our personal security is threatened, it is by racists from BN supporters and Perkasa.

Would Paul Low take the lead by publicly declaring his assets?
Under the present BN system, a declaration of assets is made privately to the Prime Minister. How would one know whether the information supplied is accurate? With a public declaration of assets, there can be a checking and verification system in addition to that done by international accounting companies. As an accountant himself, Paul Low should know that such verification by international accounting firms are much more reliable, credible and trustworthy than government agencies monitoring and auditing the declarations, as government agencies are subject to Ministerial directives.

Behaving like a BN apologist to justify why public declaration of assets should not be implemented because it would discourage wealthy, talented and skilled persons from serving the public is unacceptable. Public service requires sacrifice and that “one must not only be clean but also seen to be clean”.

Would Paul Low take the lead by publicly declaring his assets? I still remember when Paul Low met me last year on Transparency International’s Integrity Pledge, he had refused my request that a public declaration of assets be included. Paul Low explained that by including the public declaration of assets into the Integrity Pledge, BN would not sign. Clearly he was tailoring the Integrity Pledge not to promote public integrity but to suit BN.

Paul Low must demonstrate that he can make a difference in cleaning up corruption in the BN Federal government by giving a clear and unequivocal commitment to promote public integrity. Only when the BN government commits to a public declaration of assets and implementation of open competitive tenders can convince the public. Anything less would only fuel suspicion that Paul Low is merely a plant and apologist to dress up UMNO and BN as anti-corruption.

LIM GUAN ENG

——BM Version —

Kenyataan Media oleh Ketua Menteri Pulau Pinang merangkap Setiausaha Agung DAP, Lim Guan Eng di Kuala Lumpur pada 19 Mei 2013.

Paul Low tidak patut memakai budaya pembohongan BN dengan mendakwa bahawa ahli kabinet tidak patut mengisytiharkan harta seperti yang dilakukan Kerajaan Negeri Pulau Pinang kerana proses di Pulau Pinang itu tidak rasmi.

Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri yang baru, Paul Low tidak seharusnya bertukar begitu cepat daripada Presiden Transparency International Malaysia kepada jurucakap BN dengan menggunakan budaya pembohongan BN apabila menerangkan kenapa ahli Kabinet tidak perlu menhisytiharkan harta secara umum. Paul Low telah berbohong apabila beliau menyatakan bahawa pengisytiharan harta Ketua Menteri Pulau Pinang dan ahli EXCOnya adalah tidak rasmi meskipun positif kerana pegawai yang gagal mengisytiharkan harta atau deklarasi yang dibuat tidak tepat dengan kekayaan seseorang, ia tidak dihukum.

Saya ingin mengingatkan Paul Low bahawa sewaktu beliau menjadi Presiden Transparency International Malaysia, beliau memuji pemimpin Kerajaan Negeri Pulau Pinang kerana menjadi kerajaan yang pertama dalam Malaysia yang melakukan pengisytiharan harta secara umum. Sebalik menggunakan pendekatan serupa demi meningkatkan integriti di Kerajaan Persekutuan, kenapa pula beliau memiliki pendirian berlainan sekarang?

Pengisytiharan harta Kerajaan Negeri Pulau Pinang disahkan oleh sebuah firma perakaunan antarabangsa dan diakujanji oleh ahli EXCO bahawa mereka telah memberikan maklumat yang tepat dan benar. Semua ahli EXCO yang gagal mengisytiharkan harta mereka akan dilucutkan jawatan. Bukankah itu hukuman berat yang mencukupi untuk memastikan semuanya patuh?

Kerajaan Negeri Pulau Pinang kini telah mengambil satu lagi langkah dengan memerlukan semua Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri, bukan sahaja ahli EXCO untuk mengisytiharkan harta. Sekarang Paul Low sudah menjadi menteri BN, beliau telah akhirnya menelan semua propaganda BN kononnya pengisytiharan harta akan menggugat keselamatan menteri kabinet.

Apa yang mahu disembunyikan oleh ahli Kabinet? Pemimpin Negeri Pulau Pinang telah melakukan pengisytiharan secara umum, tetapi keselamatan peribadi kami tidak pun terancam. Mungkin kerana asset kami begitu sedikit untuk memberi sebarang kesan. Kalau pun keselamatan kami diancam, pastilah kerana penyokong BN dan Perkasa yang rasis.

Bolehkah Paul Low mendahului dengan mengisytiharkan hartanya sendiri?

Di bawah sistem BN, pengisytiharan harta dibuat secara peribadi kepada Perdana Menteri. Bagaimana kita boleh tahu sama ada maklumat yang diberikan itu tepat atau tidak. Dengan pengisytiharan secara umum, sistem pemeriksaan dan verifikasi boleh diadakan sebagai tambahan kepada apa yang dilakukan firma perakaunan antarabangsa. Sebagai seorang akauntan, Paul Low pastinya tahu bahawa verifikasi oleh badan perakaunan antarabangsa pastinya lebih boleh dipercayai, dan lebih amanah berbanding agensi kerajaan yang mengaudit deklarasi tersebut, kerana agensi kerajaan adalah tertakluk kepada arahan Menteri.

Dengan bersikap seperti seorang apologis BN bagi memberi justifikasi kenapa pengisytiharan harta secara umum tidak patut dilaksanakan kerana ia akan menghalang mereka yang kaya, berbakat dan berkemahiran daripada berkhidmat kepada awam amatlah tidak boleh diterima. Perkhidmatan awam menuntut pengorbanan dan seseorang itu diboleh sahaja dilihat sebagai bersih, tetapi dipastikan bersih.

Adakah Paul Low akan mendahului dengan mengisytiharkan hartanya secara terbuka? Saya masih ingat ketika Paul Low menemui saya tahun lalu tentang Ikrar Integriti Transparency International, beliau telah enggan menerima permintaan saya bahawa pengisytiharan harta secara terbuka disertakan sekali. Paul Low menerangan bahawa dengan memasukkan pengisytiharan harta secara terbuka ke dalam Ikrar Integriti, BN tidak akan menandatangan. Jelaslah beliau sebenarnya beliau merekabentuk Ikrar Integriti itu bukan untuk menggalakkan integriti awam tetapi untuk disesuaikan kepada BN.

Paul Low mesti menunjukkan bahawa beliau mampu membawa perubahan dalam membersihkan rasuah dalam Kerajaan Persekutuan BN dengan memberikan komitmen yang jelas untuk menggalakkan integriti awam. Hanyalah apabila kerajaan BN berkomitmen untuk melakukan pengisytiharan harta secara umum dan melaksanakan tender terbuka maka rakyat akan percaya. Apa sahaja yang kurang daripada itu hanyalah akan menambahkan curiga bahawa Paul Low hanyalah seorang apologis yang dipergunakan secara kosmetik untuk menunjukkan kononnya UMNO dan BN itu anti rasuah.

LIM GUAN ENG

—- Mandarin Version —-

槟州首席部长兼民主行动党秘书长林冠英于2013年5月19日在吉隆坡发表的声明:

刘胜权不应采纳国阵的撒谎文化,声称内阁成员不应像槟城民联州政府般公布财产,因槟州的处理是非正式的。

新上任的首相署部长刘胜权不应这么快就从马来西亚国际透明组织主席的身份,摇身变成为国阵代言人、善于融入国阵的文化,解释为何内阁成员不应公布财产。刘胜权谎称槟州首席部长及行政议员的公布财产举动,虽然是正面但却是“非正式”的,因为没公布财产或有关公布无法准确反映相关人士的财富的话,有关官员并不会被对付。

我谨在此提醒刘胜权,当他还是马来西亚国际透明组织的主席时,他称赞槟州政府的领袖,成为马来西亚史上第一个公布财产的政府。他理应采取同样的措施,要内阁成员公布财产以维护联邦政府的公众诚信,可是为什么现在他却换了一个截然不同的位置?

槟州的公布财产举动,是获得国际会计师事务所认证的。同时,所有的行政议员也签署了一份宣誓书,阐明所提供的资料是确实的。任何无法公布财产的行政议员,将会毫不客气地被开除。难道这不是为了确保议员遵守条例的严厉处罚吗?

如今,槟州政府更进一步要求所有的民选议员,不只是行政议员公布财产。可是,如今晋身为国阵部长的刘胜权,已经把国阵牵强的理论全部啃下,称公布财产将会危及内阁成员的人身安全。

内阁成员到底有什么是见不得人的?槟州民联政府的领袖都已经公布财产,而我们的人身安全并没有受到任何的威胁。或许是我们的财产少得可怜,没有太大的影响。如果说我们的安全受到威胁,想必是国阵支持者或土族权威组织的种族动作吧?

刘胜权会否带头公布财产呢?

在现有的国阵体系下,申报财产是私底下向首相申报。那我们要如何知道申报的资料是准确的呢?若公布财产,加上获得国际会计事务所认证后,就能建立一个检查及检验的系统。作为一名会计师,刘胜权理应知道,透过国际会计所的认证,是比政府机构的监督及审计更确实、可靠及可信赖,因为政府机构是依据部长指示行事的。

刘胜权表现得像国阵的辩护者,自圆其说地讲解不应该落实公布财产的理由,称这将导致来自富裕家庭者、人才及有技能者却步投身公共领域,是无法被接受的理由。投身公共服务领域是需要牺牲的,作为领袖,人民要的不只是廉洁,更需要看起来给人感觉到是廉洁。
刘胜权会否带头公布他的个人财产?我还记得,当刘胜权去年与我会面,针对国际透明组织的选举廉正宣言时,他拒绝了我要将公布财产纳入的要求。利胜权当时的解释是,若我们纳入公布财产这项条件,国阵将不会签署这个廉正宣言。很明显地,他是为了迎合国阵的要求而修改廉正宣言的方式,而不是在推广公众诚信。

刘胜权必需证明他能够带来改变,给予一个明确和毫不含糊的承诺,推广公众诚信,清除国阵联邦政府的贪污。只有当国阵政府承诺公布财产、落实公开招标政策后,才能够说服民众。否则,刘胜权只不过是一个被安置在联邦政府内的国阵辩护者,以为巫统及国阵在反贪上涂脂抹粉。

林冠英

2 thoughts on “Paul Low Should Not Adopt BN’s Culture Of Lies By Claiming That Cabinet Members Should Not Publicly Disclose Their Assets Like Penang PR State Government As Penang’s Process Was Informal.(en/bm/cn)”

  1. The malay idioms say “masuk kandang kambing mengembek, masuk kandang lembu mngemok” kalau tak ikut, tentu kena tendang keluar!!! This is the prob with BN govt. In the US, we can see even the President’s own party members veto the the President’s proposal… It is the human conscience and doing what is right!!?? There is check n balance within the party itself n no one goes overboard. This is how the country can progress n curb corruptions…

  2. Guan Eng

    What do you expect? Pail Low is a paper tiger to window dress BN’s position on corruption. This another smoke screen to appease voters to say that BN has now in place a system to wipe out corruption. Really?

    I see many deal with the PM’s endorsement on questionable deals but then the evidence is hidden as commercial deals. Banks continue to give mega loans to companies with little assets.

    What can Low do really other than to do policies and reviews? He has no power, no mandate and no guts to go after the real thieves. Besides, if your boss is really interested in catching the rats, why would you? Look what happened to the deputy customs head who was recently murdered in broad day light.

    I think Low is now sitting in a nice comfortable chair earning him at least 50K a month plus expenses. Well, what to expect? Just be the Chinese mouth piece for BN to say ‘we are clean’, ‘we can do no wrong to the rakyat’, or worse use him to go after DAP members now that Najib has let loose his new Bull Mastiff in the Home Ministry. They want to silence the opposition. Yeah, put some in jail and see what happens to all your whining complaints and post election rallies which will run out of steam anyway.

    No, my view is that you and Anwar etc should proactively engage with BN and work towards changes through Parliament. No matter how difficult it is, there is no other way but to show results and leadership rather than rattling sabres on both sides. Yes, we lost this time due to unfair practices but if these are not corrected by PRU14, we are finished.

    By all means push top leaders to declare assets. If they don’t want to there is also not much you can do. It is also wasting energy. Clever politicians will work the process and get what they want by not doing the apparent but play out the chess board.

    Warmest wishes.

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