MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT (Register of assets)

Mr J. B. Jeyaretnam asked the Prime Minister whether he will introduce a Members' Register for Members of Parliament to declare all assets of whatever nature held by them or in the names of their spouses.

The Minister for Home Affairs (Mr Wong Kan Seng) (for the Prime Minister): Sir, the Prime Minister has asked me to answer on his behalf. There is no need to introduce such a register.

The Member's proposal for public disclosure of Members' assets is not new. He had raised the subject in this House on two occasions, in 1981 and 1985. The then Prime Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, gave a full answer to this issue. It had also been raised on other occasions by some other Members like Dr Lee Siew Choh and Mr Chiam See Tong.

I shall repeat the two reasons why having Members of Parliament declare their assets publicly is not practical.

First, the proposal cannot guarantee clean and uncorrupt practices. An MP who is corrupt will not list his assets from corrupt gains in his declaration of his assets. Unless he is stupid, he will not flaunt his corrupt gains by ostentatious living or keeping them in his name in Singapore.

What the Government has done is to require every Minister and office-bearer to file a declaration of his assets with the Prime Minister at the beginning of his term of office. The declarations are then shown to the President. These are requirements under the Code of Conduct for Ministers and Office-Holders.

In addition, the Prime Minister requires all PAP backbenchers, though they are not in charge of Government policies or Ministries, to declare their assets to him.

When an allegation of corruption is made against an office-holder, or an MP, his declaration will be available for investigations.

We can have any number of laws, regulations and declarations to curb corruption but ultimately it depends on the reputation and integrity of the Government and its commitment to tackle corruption effectively.

The second reason why we do not favour a public register is that allowing public access to Members' declarations of assets will encroach upon their personal privacy. It is already difficult enough to persuade able and talented men and women to come forward and stand for election without subjecting their private affairs to close scrutiny. To require their and their family members' personal assets to be publicly known is to make it more difficult for able people to come forward to serve in Parliament.

Mr Jeyaretnam: May I ask the Minister whether transparency is one of the essential attributes of an honest government and this Government wastes no time in talking about being a good honest Government?

Mr Wong Kan Seng: Certainly. Transparency is one of the things that the Government firmly believes in. That is why the Government has always behaved and conducted itself in an above-board manner. Everything that the Government has done is in accordance with the law. Prying into the personal affairs of the Minister or the MP is not one of the subjects of transparency. It is completely transparent to the Prime Minister what his Ministers or office holders possess. But it is not within public knowledge and it is not a matter for public scrutiny.

Mr Jeyaretnam: Are we to understand from the Minister that the Government's definition of "transparency" is acting as an honest Government but not making it known to the public at large that they are seen to be acting as an honest Government?

Mr Wong Kan Seng: Sir, whether the Government is honest or not is well-documented by many agencies, whether it is PERC, WEF or any other agency, studying the reputation and integrity of the Government. I think it is quite well-known that this Government is completely honest.

No system in the world can stop corruption if that person wants to be corrupt. What is most important is that the men on top, ie, the Prime Minister, his Cabinet and the whole leadership of Government, are completely above-board. They set the standard. If the men on top do not set the standard, then they cannot enforce the standard down below. It is quite clear that we have a system that works. We have the CPIB that also works very hard and if there is any hint of corruption by anybody, I think the CPIB will bear down on him.

Mr Jeyaretnam: Would the Minister agree that in a democracy, which Singapore claims it is, it is the people who are at the top, they are the masters, and the Government should be made transparent to them?

Mr Wong Kan Seng: Precisely, Sir, because the people are the ones who elect the Government every few years. They decided to have a PAP Government and they have given the PAP the mandate to rule and govern for the last 30-over years.

Mr Jeyaretnam: Would the Minister please answer my question?

Mr Wong Kan Seng: I do not know where Mr Jeyaretnam has been when I was answering his question. If he becomes the Government, he can set the standard. This is the Government that has been in charge since 1959 and we set the standard. The standard has been that we uphold an incorruptible Government. And if there is any hint of corruption of anybody, the law will bear down on him.

Mr Jeyaretnam: How is the public to know? May I ask the Minister ---

Mr Wong Kan Seng: How is the public to know? Let me answer the question.

Mr Jeyaretnam: May I ask the Minister a question? I am here to ask questions.

Mr Speaker: All right.

Mr Jeyaretnam: Is the Minister aware that in a great many countries, a Members' Register is in force and I think Malaysia has just introduced it as well?

Mr Wong Kan Seng: We all know that an assets declaration register is implemented in many countries, in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and, nearby in the region, in Taiwan. But has that stopped corruption?

Mr Jeyaretnam: What is the great objection to maintaining a Members' Register?

Mr Wong Kan Seng: I have been here for 10 minutes answering his questions and he still could not understand.

Mr Jeyaretnam: I do not understand.