Around sixty Opposition members of the Legislative Assembly have apparently failed to submit asset declarations as requested by the Speaker.One can rule out excuses for this failure such as illiteracy or innumeracy,  which leaves what? Sixty or so Members who either lack the ability to add and to write or the same number who have something to hide. Most Malaysians will know what is attempted to be hidden.

To encourage these backsliders the Speaker could publish a list of their names and constituencies so that those who elected them may better know those they elected and, more importantly, have a better idea about who to vote for in any future elections.

Law-abiding politicians have surely all filed accurate income tax returns so why be coy about public admission of assets?  Do they fear that disclosure might show publicly their business and financial history and that this might conflict with what they claimed when seeking election?

One thing is certain. Those  MLAs who fail to submit these declarations and cannot explain publicly to their constituents why they remain mute cannot expect to be re-elected. They can also expect that bodies such as the MACC will take an interest in their reluctance.  To determine why!