China’s leaders and civil servants now required to declared their personal income and assets
March 7th, 2010 | 
Author: Written by Our Correspondent
Though China lags far behind Singapore in Corruption Perception Index rankings conducted yearly by Transparency International, its government is moving towards greater accountability and transparency which puts Singapore to shame.
In a landmark speech made during China’s National People Congress (NPC) a few days ago, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao calls on greater accountability and transparency to be practised at all levels of the government in order to tackle the scourge of corruption.
Chinese leaders and public officials are now required to declare their personal income and assets including their properties, investments and number of wives to the central government and be scrutinized by the the supervisory authority:
“温家宝强调，要把反腐倡廉建设摆在重要位置。各级领导干部特别是高级干部要坚决执行中央关于报告个人经济和财产，包括收入、住房、投资，以及配偶子女从业等重大事项的规定，并自觉接受纪检部门的监督。” (read rest of article here)
The practice has already been adopted by some provinces and counties. For example in January 2009, Ci Xi city of the prosperous coastal province of China revealed the income and assets of some 700 public officials to the public:
“1月中旬，浙江慈溪市在全国率先施行“廉情公示”，向社会晒出700名官员的资产家底” (read rest of article here)
This was followed by the revelation of the amount of monies in the government coffers by a county in remote Xinjiang province:
“新疆阿勒泰地区纪委设立的廉政账户也由申报前的几万存款，激增至公示前的76万，这无疑从侧面说明了这项制度的威慑力。”
Premier Wen also promised to create the conditions for citizens to criticize and check on the government and to allow for more debate on politics in the media:
“要深入推进政务公开，完善各类公开办事制度和行政复议制度，创造条件让人民批评政府、监督政府，同时充分发挥新闻舆论的监督作用，让权力在阳光下运行。”
Singapore leaders kept boasting about themselves being the most “honest, honorable and incorruptible gentlemen” in the world, but to this very day, they have yet to reveal their personal wealth and assets to the public as is the common practice among many first world countries.
Even the state governments of Penang and Selangor in Malaysia require their state executive councillors to do so.
Though China is a de facto one-party communist state, it is becoming more and more open and liberal. The media is relatively free in certain cosmopolitan cities like Shanghai and Guangzhou and are allowed to report on current affairs and criticize government policies.
For example in Guangzhou, there is a popular current affairs programme focused on exposing the inefficiencies and inadequacies of the city government. Such a programme will be unimaginable in Singapore where its leaders are still worshipped as infallible “gods” by an ignorant, apathetic and brainwashed citizenry.
Action talks louder than words. The PAP leaders should follow the example of China and made public the personal income and assets of all its ministers and senior civil servants. They must also reveal the exact losses incurred by Temasek Holdings and GIC which are making Singapore a laughing stock in the world.
Only then will they truly live up to the practice of accountability, transparency and good governance. Self-praise is no praise really. No government can ever be built or run solely based on “trust”. There is an urgent need for some sort of checks and balances to be institutionalized within the Singapore political milieu.
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14 Responses to “China’s leaders and civil servants now required to declared their personal income and assets”
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Why are’nt Singapore leaders declaring their incomes and assets?
The PAP leaders should follow the example of China and made public the personal income and assets of all its ministers and senior civil servants. They must also reveal the exact losses incurred by Temasek Holdings and GIC which are making Singapore a laughing stock in the world.
Yeah right, if they dare to, you know how many of them could be even stoned to death by the citizens, you know singaporeans may be kwai-kwai citizens but don’t ever let them find out the TRUTH!
If Singaporeans really find out all their monies are being siphoned out by who we all know, you think they can easily get away with it? c’mon I think the military could even gunned them down themselves.
You are not just talking about millions of dollars, it’s more than a 100 billions of taxpayers lifetime cpf savings here just disappeared like that, what do you singaporeans do should you ever finds out the truth? Thaksin is only some billions, already the thai govt is still hunting him down till today. For us here, I think no need to do much, just offer another billion reward to shoot at sight whevever they are hiding, agree or not? singaporeans!
If they are required to declare their assets you will be Shock it will certainly runs into hundreds of millions of $ starting with the Familee and their Cronies.
I doubt they will ever declare. It’s like dropping a big stone on one’s own feet ……
I hope singaporeans will truly take actions when this bunch of ministars and their obscene pay is being found out to be corrupted, i hope singaporeans will not be like a timid mouse , only know how to whine and not start taking real action to demand this bunch of idiots to pay for their sins consequences.
Make sure when this day comes, all this corrupted officials will be thrown into jail, and sentence to life. And all the money they took from the taxpayer, will be proportionately return it back to taxpayers in CASH…I say it one more time. Pay back to us in CASH, not paper form.
Oppositon party , pls rise up now. This is the time for you people to stand united and form one alliance party and overtake this corrupted garhment and form a new govt. Singaporeans need a new govt. This is the final last chance for all singaporeans , including the oppostion party themselves also.
Rise up, all true blue singaporeans…Claim back our own country. Claim back our citizenship rights before it is too late.
China is a great country and they have great Leaders to protect their citizens and nation interest.
The declaration of assets & income implemented is necessary and singapore need it as well.
Our government has always been telling us that they are clean and non-corrupt government and leaders. The only way to proof such statement is to declare their assets, currency, company shares, in singapore and other countries.
We also need to check with Swiss bank to clear doubts of any singaporean and it will benefit our leaders in the long run.
Declaration of assets is a much more effective means to prevent corruption than CPIB or what Tharman preached, a system based on trust. I too have serious doubt that the current regime will declare their assets but we can make them declare their assets if we have an opposition government. That is the only way to force transparency into the system, which is currently being ran like some secret society!
Why so many of you so cruel? You want to expose the scandals and open the worm can?
Actually our civil servant is making a sacrifice. Allow me to explain.
Liew Mun Leong years ex civil servant for 22 years, CEO Capitaland GLC, make $20 million.
Yes, the report is fully accurate! Thx for highlighting TR!
I often go down to Guang Zhou, n they have a TV Channel call “南方卫视”, showing current affairs of daily events which reports NO_HOLDS_BARRED news on corruptions n social issues. The segment program call “马后炮” that the host really dare to criticise the governments… A real solid media with FULL INTEGRITY!!!
To top that up, central government of China are already talking about morderate Democracy within 10 years whereby provincial governors can only be elected by locals (common peasants), n promotion of officials strictly by tangible merits… This is to revolutinalise from current flawed system where JUNKS officials always crept from the back doors… to counter “guan xi” 关系 (string-pulling) tradition.
Wen Jia Bao is already knocking them hard n moving forward!… but seems like the MIWs are moving backwards by adopting China’s forsaken feudal practice the other way round, letting the “Comrades” to embarass our piMPs once again!
To http://vonhayek.blogspot.com/ on Sun, 7th Mar 2010 5:38 pm
Very true! The classic Peanut TT Durai is already a solid example n only “tip of the iceberge”… Back then, we even had auntie Goh readily defending him… (hmm.. something really fishy!!!) Wait til we really open the golden-can!
They (PAP Ministers and MPs) just have to report to me and that will do? And so what he meant then is that he held all such information and Singaporeans WILL JUST HAVE TO PUT “OUR” FAITH AND TRUST IN HIM!!! That means too that HE doesn’t have to account to US because HE was ‘elected’ and so WE gave trust unto him and thus should not distrust him!!! PERFECTLY in political logic but also PERFECTLY WRONG in Responsibility AND ACCOUNTABILITY!!! And so, IS GCT any different from the Lees in PAP. Since Temasek’s CEO was Championed BY him WITh LINKAGE to ‘The Lee FamiLEE’ too right!!! His Dissimilarity END HERE GUYS!!!
IF Old Lee, Old Lee wife and Young Lee declared their income, the first two will be holding at least $1 billion each, while the young lee will be in hundreds of million.
Oh perhaps my estimate is ol the high side, cut it by 50% and we shall see if that is more accurate.