Who really pays those in power?

A while ago, DAP lawmaker Tony Pua asked how the Prime Minister's (PM) family got so rich. It is a good question worth answering, but not just by PM Datuk Seri Najib Razak, but all our lawmakers, including Pua himself.

In the nearly six decades of independence, Malaysia has been without any laws or regulations making it mandatory for politicians and civil servants to declare their assets. Only recently have the Royal Malaysian Police (RMP) announced that officers will have their assets checked for irregularities.

Truthfully, both sides of the political divide have remained mum on the need to actually have their own sides declare what their elected representatives and subsequently their family members own.

And quite frankly, it is a silence that is disturbing. Insofar, out of the multiple political parties which exist in Malaysia, only one has been brave enough to have a press conference and make public what their parliamentarian has – Parti Sosialis Malaysia.

Many politicians have been accused of corruption due to the unveiling of assets which do not match their paychecks as civil servants.

However, I personally believe the "black sheep" who owned a palace in Selangor, the "close-one-eye" timber money taker from Melaka and even the "White Raja" are merely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to how much money is being given and received by our lawmakers and authorities.

Similarly, with the recent Swiss Leaks data, more wealthy Malaysians have found their names appearing with suspicious bank accounts overseas from both sides.

I am certain that both sides receive not only cash from the public in form of salaries and contributions collected during the nightly ceramahs, but also campaign contributions from companies, high income Malaysians and even NGOs.

So who really is paying those in power?

Why has there not been a single mention of having civil servants and lawmakers doing a mandatory declaration of assets on an annual basis as a way to combat corruption?

Both sides of the political divide are equally guilty of this complacency. And yet, they dare to accuse each side of being corrupt?

Malaysians of all walks of life are an odd bunch in this regard. For some reason or another, they can accuse one side of money politics, yet without any proof that their own side is "squeaky clean". So perhaps it is time for the people to push for both sides to come clean and declare what their representatives, as well as their families, actually own.

But there is a problem. Such a calling must be done through the establishment of new legislation.  As such, to make it a legal requirement would require political will from the government's side. Obviously, this fight would require someone with political will and, no offence to the Prime Minister, but he has yet to show that he has it.

So since it is not a federal requirement, should members and the public themselves push to make their supported political parties make a declaration of assets mandatory for becoming a candidate in general elections on all levels - national, state and perhaps in the future, local councils?

Would the Pakatan Rakyat parties which constantly harp on corruption be willing to throw down the gauntlet by doing this first?

Or would Barisan Nasional after more than six decades of ruling be willing to show itself with credible leaders now who are not tainted by dirty money?

Until either side actually does something to fight internally against corruption and promote transparency, either PAS, Umno, PKR, and even the DAP, none have the right to talk about the other side with a "holier-than-thou" attitude.

Because they are not proving that the other side is corrupt. All they are proving, in fact, is that they are just better at hiding it than the other, as far as I am concerned. – March 12, 2015. 

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.