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Call on the government to impose a guideline that requires all public office bearers to declare their PR status in foreign countries before taking public office   Press Statement by Loke Siew Fook (Petaling Jaya, Friday): The de facto Law Minister Dr Rais Yatim has reportedly said that the Culture, Arts and Tourism Deputy Minister Dr Ng Yen Yen’s past status as an Australian permanent resident while serving as senator was "morally untenable" though not legally wrong,. He was quoted as saying that “If a public office holder has a PR status for whatever reason – whether it is because of his or her children or for business efficacy, it does not harm him or her to declare it to the public. In other countries, if such things happened, those concerned would have resigned. There are no legal implications. But it concerns the morals, value system and disposition of a government leader, even if the person has relinquished the PR status” DAPSY is not interested in the political tussle within MCA particularly the Team A and Team B bickering but the revelation of the PR status of Dr Ng Yen Yen by the MCA Youth Chief must not be taken lightly. Although as Rais said that it was not legally wrong but for a Senator being appointed without being known that she was holding a PR status in a foreign country, it just showed that transparency is not being practiced by our public office bearers. Dr Ng did not set a good precedent in public administration. As a senior politician, she should have been sensitive and publicly relinquish her PR status in Australia before she took up the appointment of her Senator post. As Dr Rais Yatim said that people who hold public office should not withhold information on their foreign PR status which is "pertinent to be known by the public", DAPSY is urging the government to impose a guideline that requires all public office bearers to declare their PR status in foreign countries before taking public office. The Cabinet must set a good precedent that not only their PR status must be declared, all Ministers and Deputy Ministers shall also declare all their personal assets and interest to the Parliament to ensure the principles of accountability and transparency are adhered to by government leaders. Rais should not wait for the Cabinet request to propose for a clear guideline or policy regarding the matter but he should immediately take pro-active measure to initiate the guideline and bring it to the Cabinet soonest possible.   (21/3/2003) * Loke Siew Fook, DAPSY National Secretary