Aliran says syabas to the PAS-led Terengganu state exco for having made the historic decision to publicly declare its assets - a stand that is very much in keeping with Aliran's long-standing demand to political leaders. This move fulfils the Terengganu state government's promise to be transparent and accountable to the rakyat.

Many Malaysians are hoping that the Terengganu and Kelantan governments will do their utmost to fulfil the Barisan Alternatif's election promises.

More importantly, Barisan Nasional-controlled state governments and the Federal Government should emulate this commendable move. Exco members in these states and cabinet ministers should also declare their assets to the public rather than only to their respective state chief ministers or to the prime minister (in the case of cabinet ministers and chief ministers).

In taking this bold decision, the Terengganu government has rejected the Barisan Nasional’s meaningless policy of submitting asset declarations only to the prime minister or to state chief ministers. These declarations are kept secret and the public does not even know if they have even be made.

If declarations are made public, as proposed in Terengganu, the public too can monitor leaders to see if they are living beyond their means and accumulating unexplained wealth.

Another interesting development in Terengganu is the plan to set up a hisbah portfolio

(or ombudsman), which would allow the public to report abuses and misdeeds by state officials or the state government. We hope that the sacked Lord President, Tun Salleh Abas, who heads the portfolio and was himself a victim of abuse of power, will live up to public expectations by acting promptly and impartially on such complaints.

It is also heart-warming to note the Terengganu government’s assurance that it will favourably consider applications to build non-Muslim houses of worship. This is in stark contrast to the BN-government, which imposes all kinds of restrictions and specifications that are widely perceived as obstructing rather than facilitating the building of such places of worship. (For more details, see Aliran Monthly, September 1999.)

Many Malaysians are hoping that the Terengganu and Kelantan governments will do their utmost to fulfil the Barisan Alternatif’s election promises. It is only by translating some of these promises into reality that the rakyat will be able to see the difference between BA-inspired policies and those of the BN.