Selangor's FOI bill to have more 'meat'

The much-awaited Freedom of Information bill to be tabled in the Selangor state assembly will have more ‘meat’.

With amendments to strengthen the bill further to preserve the spirit of the freedom of information, the select committee on the bill is already putting in the final touches to make it “less vague”.

“The amendments will be quite substantial. When it first came out, even the Pakatan assemblypersons themselves were unclear about the bill...

“The points which were not clear were then clarified further,” said Subang Jaya assemblyperson Hannah Yeoh ( right ), who is also in the select committee on the FOI.

Yesterday, the select committee had briefed the state exco members on the amendments before it is tabled for the third and final time in the next assembly sitting on March 28.

“The bill is not exactly for their approval. It’s just a briefing and to also get their feedback. The law is one thing, but it is the exco members who have to implement it,” she told Malaysiakini .

It was understood that when the bill was first tabled in July last year, it was a more watered-down version, with many of its clauses still vague.

It also attracted criticism from the state opposition, claiming that it is unconstitutional and that such powers should only be held by the federal government.

To that, another member of the select committee, Seri Setia assemblyperson Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad from PKR said that the BN representatives in the committee had recorded a zero attendance in all its meetings.

“BN was very critical when they debated last year. They said that it contradicted the federal  constitution, or that it does not go far enough. Karim Mansor (BN-Tanjung Sepat) and Abdul Shukor Idrus (BN-Kuang) never attended the session, not once.

“If they think that it’s so bad, they never bothered to attend to give their input when given the opportunity. It just shows that they are hypocrites,” he said.

Apart from the exco members, the select committee had also met NGOs, civil servants, government-linked companies and local councils for a round of consultation and feedback.