Anwar: Tabling FOI Bill soon, to provide clarity on govt decisions

Summary

• The prime minister announces that the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill and amendments to the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010 will be tabled this year to enhance transparency and public trust.

• Law minister Azalina Othman Said clarifies that the FOI Bill will be tabled by October.

• She adds that the government will review and improve the Judicial Appointments Commission Act 2009 to address public confusion and ensure clarity and transparency.

The Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill is expected to be tabled in Parliament later this year.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the tabling of the bill is crucial to gain public confidence and provide clarity on government decisions.

“This is an important step in building public trust and encouraging informed participation in our democratic system.

“This reform reflects our comprehensive approach and our determination to build strong, fair, and transparent institutions that serve all Malaysians with integrity,” he said.

He was speaking at the closing ceremony of the International Conference on Integrity and Governance in Putrajaya today.

According to Anwar, the government is also working to amend the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010, which is also expected to be tabled by the end of this year.

He said it aims to provide more comprehensive protection to those who leak information of public interest.

“This includes repealing previous exemptions that limited protection and establishing an independent Whistleblower Protection Committee to ensure more effective implementation,” he said.

Last year, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reforms) M Kulasegaran said the FOI Bill would be tabled by the end of 2024.

The bill was meant to provide all citizens with access to information, with exceptions for personal data, and data on national security, defence, and diplomatic relations.

Its main principle is that the public has the right to know what the authorities are doing, thus empowering the people, strengthening democracy, and building trust in the government.

Calling NGOs, political parties, govt depts

Meanwhile, in an immediate response, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Azalina Othman Said announced that the FOI Bill would be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat this October.

“We hope (to complete) it in the next parliamentary session if this session is not enough. God willing, it will be tabled in the October sitting.

“I really hope it can be implemented because... we have to call all parties, from non-governmental organisations (NGOs), community organisations, and political parties, to be involved.

“We will also look at the views of government departments because the role of the ombudsman is something that will take over the function of the Public Complaints Bureau,” she said.

The minister also commented on judicial appointments, saying the government would look into ways to improve the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) Act 2009 to avoid confusion.

She said that since the act came into force in 2009, there has never been any confusion in the procedure for appointing judges.

“It should be remembered that the JAC Act was passed in 2009, and since then (it has been applied) in the appointment of five chief justices.

“There has never been an issue - unfortunately, now it has become an issue. So we have to study it in depth.

“We need to make improvements, because right now there is a lot of confusion and no clarity from the public perspective,” she said.

She explained that the improvements include identifying the source of confusion in the process of judicial appointments.

“Where is the source of this confusion or lack of clarity? Is it due to the process or the terminology used, for example, the name of the JAC itself?

“Maybe the word ‘appointment’ creates a certain perception, I am not sure. So we need to do a study,” she said.

Bar invited to give views

Azalina said opinions will also be gathered from experts so that a comprehensive discussion can be had.

“I have also invited the Malaysian Bar to be involved at an early stage to provide a balanced perspective and view.

“After that, I will bring this matter to a cabinet meeting to decide which direction we will take,” she said.

This follows concerns of a brewing judicial crisis, which saw around 600 people participating in the “Walk for Judicial Independence” led by the Malaysian Bar yesterday. Organisers estimated the turnout to be closer to 1,600.

The Bar submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister’s Office in Putrajaya with four demands:

1. Filling top judicial vacancies

2. Releasing minutes of a recent JAC meeting

3. Forming a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) to probe judicial interference

4. Addressing overall judicial vacancies

Last Saturday, a leak of purported JAC meeting minutes in May appeared to lend credence to allegations of judicial interference against a senior judge.

There are also concerns that the government is sidelining recommendations from the JAC, made when Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat was chief justice, to fill key judicial positions.

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