KUALA LUMPUR (Mar 17): All Barisan Nasional (BN) lawmakers have declared their assets and this has been common practice for some time, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim.

He said this to reporters at the Parliament lobby today, in response to Umno's Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah's proposal that all past and present cabinet members should declare their assets and liabilities to avoid conflict of interest.

Shahidan said the declaration was made to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

"We have done that. Everyone has declared his or her assets, that is common practice. We have done so for a long time," said the Arau MP.

Ku Li said all parliamentarians should also be included in such practice, as well as high-ranking civil and private sector officials who had the power to make decisions.

"Such declarations should be made periodically and has to be kept at an independent body created by an Act of Parliament," he said in his speech while debating the royal address in Parliament today.

Tengku Razaleigh's call for ministers and MPs past and present to declare their assets comes on the heels of a move by PKR Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli to declare his wealth last week.

Rafizi had revealed that his nett worth was about RM1.56 million, stating that he did not have any other income except for his salary and allowance totalling RM11,710 as a member of parliament.