Selangor's sunshine bill ready for final reading
The much-touted Freedom of Information (FOI) bill is ready for its third and final reading when the Selangor state assembly resumes this March 28, with its scope widened to include local authorities, federal departments and companies dealing with state interests.
The much-touted Freedom of Information (FOI) bill is ready for its third and final reading when the Selangor state assembly resumes this March 28, with its scope widened to include local authorities, federal departments and companies dealing with state interests.
FOI select committee chairperson Saari Sungib (
right
) said the “major improvements” to the bill cast a wider net, broadening its ambit beyond only departments directly under the state secretary to also include all local authorities in the state.
“The improvements will widen the definition of government departments to also include organisations that deal with the state of Selangor’s interests,” he told Malaysiakini recently.
The implications of the amendments to the bill will go beyond direct government links, as with the case of Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (Syabas) as an example, said Saari.
He explained that while Syabas is neither a state department nor a government-linked company, it deals with a state asset - which means the bill, if passed, applies to them.
“If there are problems later, it can be brought to court to be settled. If we limit the powers of this enactment from the start, it will be difficult (to enforce),” he said.
Saari added that the bill’s coverage also extends over federal departments, such as the Public Works Department, which secure 30 percent of its funds from the state government’s budget.
“This allocation includes salary payments, emoluments and small-scale projects. We can’t simply say the PWD is not subject to the state government (laws),” said the Hulu Kelang state assemblyperson.
The FOI was first tabled in July last year amidst much controversy, with the state opposition claiming that it is unconstitutional and that such powers should only be held by the central government.
The summary of the Bill describes it as a move to ‘enhance disclosure of information for the public interest, to provide every individual an opportunity to access to information made by every department of the state government’.
Public access to state government information will be limited to any relevant written law, such as the Official Secrets Act.
Saari said the select committee has already completed its studies and carried out public consultation as required by the state assembly.
