FORMER prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said the current government was politicising the fight against corruption, using it as a tool to target its opponents.
Dr Mahathir, who served twice as prime minister, criticised authorities for demanding that individuals declare assets from decades ago, even if they had consistently paid their taxes.
“Though the law doesn’t specify how far back one must declare assets, and despite paying taxes every year, we’re now being forced to produce documentation for our spending from 40 years ago.
“If this isn’t an abuse of power, I don’t know what is,” he said.
Speaking after attending the Perikatan Nasional-led (PN) State Government 4 (SG4) conference in Bangi, where he serves as chief panel adviser of the joint venture, he said people were now afraid to appear slightly wealthy or to live lavishly.
“They’ll be asked to declare assets from as far back as their school days and failing to declare decades-old assets could result in jail time or fines.
“This abuse extends beyond politics and affects everyone,” he said.
On the creation of the SG4 by the PN states of Kedah, Terengganu, Kelantan, and Perlis, he said this move was not intended to undermine the authority of the federal government and that the formation of the joint venture investment company aimed to ensure financial stability for the four states.
“We are not undermining or opposing the federal government. We are creating this because these four states are not getting their fair share of the wealth.
“We simply want these four states to develop so their people can equally enjoy the wealth,” he added.
Also present were PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang and PAS secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan.
Apart from domestic investments, he said SG4 is also actively seeking foreign direct investment.
After SG4 was created in September last year, PN announced the appointment of Dr Mahathir as its adviser, saying the former Langkawi MP would provide the investment company with advice on effective governance to ensure efficiency. – September 2, 2024.
