By Rahmah Ghazali
KUALA LUMPUR: Steadfast to the pledges made in its election manifesto, Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) made public its state representatives and councillors' personal assets for scrutiny.
For the second time since the 2008 general election, its MPs and assemblymen declared their assets at the Kuala Lumpur Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall.
Among them were Sungai Siput MP Dr D Jeyakumar, Kota Damansara assemblyman Dr Mohd Nasir Hashim, Kajang Municipal Councillor and PSM secretary-general S Arutchelvan, Shah Alam Municipal Councillor A Sivarajan and Petaling Jaya Municipal Councillor V Pannerselvamn.
Jeyakumar, in declaring his assets to the press, said he owned a 1988 Volvo worth RM2,000, a 1986 Mazda worth RM2,000, a 1993 Pajero worth RM8,000, cash amounting to RM20,000 and a share worth RM8,000.
As an MP, he said he earned RM12,950 a month, including fixed allowances and owned a semi-detached house in Ipoh, Perak, valued at RM120,000.
Meanwhile, Nasir said he owned a Perodua Viva worth RM40,000, which he uses to commute to meet people and attend activities in his constituency.
He has a personal savings of RM6,000 and a gets monthly income of RM2,500 in pension. As an assemblyman, he said, he earns RM9,812.79.
'We are different politicians'
Arutchelvan said the declarations from the state representatives and councillors will be posted on their official website, as was done the first time last year.
Contrary to popular assumption that “once one gets into politics, he will be rich”, Jeyakumar said that those in PSM have to sacrifice for the people instead of filling up their own pockets.
Relating his experience as a “Yang Berhormat” in Sungai Siput, which used to be MIC president S Samy Vellu's stronghold, he said people "still expect a handout from me.
"But we don't do all that because I'm the one who usually supports or funds activities for the people and these things don't come from the BN.
"Most of our programmes in Sungai Siput survive on the strength of volunteers," he said.
Jeyakumar added that PSM is painting a whole new culture in the national political landscape, and that is, "not to be rich but to sacrifice for the people. That is why we are a different breed”.
