KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 26 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that he is prepared to declare his assets at any time.

"If anyone requests that I declare my assets tomorrow, I will do so; scrutinise as much as you like... that’s how a leader sets an example. If we do not, how can we teach the people? One way to elevate the status of Islam is through good governance.

"So, when some are asked to declare their assets and react with anger, claiming it’s out of spite... what spite? If you’ve done nothing wrong, why fear declaring your assets?” he said during the groundbreaking ceremony of the construction for the Sekolah Menengah Integrasi Sains Tahfiz (SMISTA) Complex in Taman Alam Sutera here today.

Recent media reports quoted Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan, the chief whip of Perikatan Nasional (PN) as saying that asset declarations, one of the conditions outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) concerning allocations for opposition MPs, should only apply to members of the administration, as was the practice under the previous government.

Anwar, meanwhile, said that the government is actively combating corruption and misappropriation.

"There are those who speak of Malays, religion and Islam, but in reality, they are siphoning off the nation’s resources and wealth. I do not want this to happen; I am not suggesting it has happened here.

"As we examine nearly every contract, there are always leaks and missing funds. What nation can thrive if such losses persist, and they are not insignificant, hundreds of millions and even billions,” he said. — Bernama