Most Read
Most Commented
Read more like this

The campaign for the freedom of information advocated by civil society organisations in Malaysia is now five years old and has finally come to fruition. With the new change of state government, Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim has taken the bold step to make it happen.

On Nov 18, 2009, the menteri besar announced two groundbreaking moves - to declassify state information, and secondly, to enact a freedom of information act by 2010.

The Selangor state government's move to demand the federal government publicly release the findings of the tragic Bukit Antarabangsa landslide that happened on Dec 6, 2008 is indeed a valid one and worth supporting.

The Selangor MB cited Section 2C of the Official Secrets Act (OSA) that allows ministers and the menteri besar to declassify documents, to make public the report that was prepared by the Works Ministry but tabled at the Cabinet.

However, the federal government has kept silent on the issue.

It is important for the public to know and have freedom and access to information because this enables ordinary citizens to check corruption and mismanagement within the government. This is one of the foundations of democracy and ensures that we the citizens can hold our government to account.

The federal government clearly understands the need to have control over the flow of information. When Najib Abdul Razak took over as prime minister in April 2009, he formed the Ministry of Information, Communications and Culture (KPKK).

As rightly noted by Jac SM Kee and Sonia Randhawa in their paper on 'Violence Against Women and ICT: Malaysia" (2009), the Ministry of Information in particular, has been seen to play a key role in governance. Under this combined ministry, it will manage and have even greater hold over the flow of information to the public and consequently over exchange, discourse proliferation and expression.

The truth as to what happened in the tragic Bukit Antarabangsa landslide needs to be told and discussed. The probable causes of the landslide, findings on the safety of the area and possible recommendations for future planning must not be kept secret.

The truth cannot be hidden behind repressive laws like the Official Secrets Act (OSA).

Bukit Antarabangsa is not the only case. In 2008 alone, Malaysia experienced at least eight landslides, which took lives and created hardship for the survivors. Yet the public is unaware why such disasters happen.

The time has come for all governments to commit to a more open and transparent governance by releasing to the public all documents now classified under the OSA, and to move towards replacing the law with a Freedom of Information Act. The public must demand for these reforms, as it is their right to be informed and to know.


Maria Chin Abdullah is chair and secretariat of the Coalition for Good Governance (CGG).

ADS