Several restrictive clauses in Penang’s Freedom of Information (FOI) Act are not cast in stone and may be amended when the time is appropriate, says the executive councillor in charge of the matter, P Ramasamy.

These clauses include the controversial issue of signing a statutory declaration (SD) to obtain information, the exorbitant application fees and third party consent or approval before information is shared.

“Last week there was a discussion on whether we should incorporate the SD into the enactment itself, but we came to the conclusion that it was not necessary,” the Penang Deputy Chief Minister II said.