‘Asset declarations from 40 years ago? A clear abuse of power,’ says Dr M

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has accused the current government of politicising the fight against corruption and using it as a tool to target their opponents.

(NST) – The former prime minister, who served twice, criticised the authorities for demanding that individuals declare assets from decades ago, even if they have consistently paid their taxes.

“Even 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. People are now afraid that if they appear even slightly wealthy or live lavishly, they’ll be asked to declare assets from as far back as their school days,” he said after attending a Perikatan Nasional-led state governments (SG4) conference, where he serves as chief panel adviser.

He said that failing to declare decades-old assets could result in jail time or fines, calling it a form of power abuse.

Mahathir added that this abuse extends beyond politics and affects everyone.