Bravo Mr. Lim Guan Eng! - FMT LETTER: From Anas Zubedy, via e-mail

Firstly, let me congratulate CM Lim Guan Eng and the Penang state government for publicly declaring their assets. It is unfortunate that such a great move was not given more widespread and prominent news coverage. 

Such news should have been first page cover news story.

This declaration is nothing short of a turning point in Malaysian political history and it should be treated as one. 

It is an act of transparency, a checking mechanism and a deterrent towards wrongful doing. When office bearers are forced to do this, they cannot enrich themselves through criminal breach of trust and if they do, they cannot escape scot free.

I’m happy that today, some trickling effects are taking place with more calls toward public declaration with the judiciary being the next. We must create a momentum to keep this going. In the long run, all office bearers in both state and federal government should follow suit.

The declaration of assets should also cover all MPs and ADUNs. It will also be wise to extend this call to cover all top government servants as well as those who play a role in giving out contracts.

I have strong convictions that the rakyat will be most happy if CM Lim through his channels within Pakatan Rakyat were to convince his fellow comrades, MPs, ADUNs, and state executives, not just in Penang, but in Selangor, Kedah and Kelantan and nationally in doing the same.

The top echelon of PR like Anwar Ibrahim, Ustaz Hadi and Tok Guru Nik Aziz’s declaration will add vigour to this campaign. This will ultimately force Barisan Nasional to do the same. It is no use asking BN to do it until all your team members has done so; as it will dilute your initial effort.

Perhaps you can do this. The announcement on Jan 13 of the entire state excos is likened to a good launch to create impact. We in the world of marketing and advertising usually do the same when we want to launch a new product through a brand communication plan.

But to maintain a high level of awareness, we will continue to continue communication consistently with definite frequency, usually on a weekly basis (should the budget allow). In other words, after a big launch like Jan13, it will be effective that on a weekly basis a member of your MP or ADUN or state excos in PR announce his or her willingness to do the same.

This can continue until the next general election and with the remaining comrades declaring all at once as soon as the elections are announced. Thank you again for the turning point and I hope you see the wisdom of my suggestion.

“To conquer others need strength; To conquer oneself is harder” – Tao Te Ching

Note: for safety reasons (kidnapping of family members, etc.) another option is to declare their assets and wealth to a third party. This is understandable because they could be those who are already rich before they join politics.

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