“Asset declaration is sometimes a form of stupidity. They want to show off,” he was quoted as saying by Malaysiakini.

“What should we show the public? We should show that we are good people,” he said after delivering his weekly lecture in Marang, Terengganu.

The Perikatan Nasional (PN) deputy chairman was asked to comment on whether PAS would follow PKR’s footsteps in having election candidates declare their assets.

Hadi’s comments come as PAS vice-president Amar Nik Abdullah yesterday said the party’s leaders were “embarrassed” to make asset declarations as they are not wealthy like “some candidates who are millionaires”.

Anti-graft activists have pushed election candidates to follow the example of their PKR counterparts and declare their assets. Apart from boosting a candidate’s credibility and integrity, they say asset declarations are also crucial for public accountability.

Following in PKR’s footsteps, Muda president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman and Amanah vice-president Mujahid Yusof Rawa also declared their assets ahead of the Nov 19 polls. The former, who is defending his Muar seat, valued his assets at RM1.9 million, while the latter, who hopes to retain the Parit Buntar seat, valued his assets at RM2.45 million.

While Mujahid said Amanah has no party-wide stance on the public declaration of assets, he said all its GE15 candidates have declared their assets to the party.

DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook yesterday said the party does not have any plans to make it mandatory for its GE15 candidates to declare their assets, although he said those who were elected would be required to do so.

In PN and Barisan Nasional, candidates such as Azmin Ali and Khairy Jamaluddin have spoken out against asset declarations for GE15 candidates, with the former calling it “election theathrics” and the latter describing it as unnecessary.