Umno legal eagle Mohd Hafarizam Harun said the Pakatan Rakyat-ruled state of Selangor should be the trailblazer towards establishing a Freedom of Information Act (FOI).

"We hope that Selangor could make a head start. (Prime Minister) Najib (Abdul Razak) would follow it up," he said when asked why wasn't there a move for the tabling of FOI in the federal legislative assembly.

NONE Speaking to reporters after delivering a keynote address at a FOI conference in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, Hafarizam said Umno supported the enactment of such a legislation.

On a personal note, the legal adviser added: "I am all for the legislation."

Hafarizam also pointed out that Umno today was much more open and willing to engage with civil society.

Asked whether Umno was afraid of the FOI legislation, he said: "That wouldn't be the case since FOI would impact both sides of the political divide."

However, when asked if any Umno parliamentarian would be able to move such a bill, he replied: "It is best to engage with the prime minister to move for a freedom of information act.”

"Members of parliament may not want to move for it as they may have their own interests,” he added.

It's easier for Selangor

As for Selangor, Hafarizam said it would be easier for the state to kick-start the FOI enactment as it has fewer agencies and parties to deal with compared to Barisan Nasional at the federal level.

Hafarizam also highlighted the need for a FOI legislation in implementing free trade areas, especially in government-to-government relations.

"Our FOI should be in our mould," he said when asked what type of FOI Malaysia would have.

He also stressed that citizens must be empowered to create a transparent society, adding that lobbyists and citizens alike must push for the act.

Hafarizam added that he also supported the amendments to laws such as the Internal Security Act and the Official Secrets Act when asked to comment on laws that repress freedom of information.

Earlier in his keynote speech, he said that freedom of information does not guarantee transparency and accountability.

He called upon Malaysians to be responsible when they applied freedom of information.

The conference was jointly organised by Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M) and Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) with support from the Konrad Adenaur Stiftung foundation.