KOTA KINABALU – The desire to have a law that ensures transparency, which grants laymen the right to access public information, is swiftly gaining ground among Sabahans.
Widely viewing this as a progressive move, especially in light of mismanagement and abuse of power instances in the country, supporters have grown more vocal in calling for such a law – with necessary restrictions on sensitive matters.
Sabah Journalists Association president Datuk Muguntan Vanar said the idea of having a law on freedom of information in Sabah is a step forward in the state’s development.
“I believe it will be progressive for Sabah to allow public access to information, especially on matters that directly affect the government’s decisions.
“The public would want to know the plans for their respective areas, for instance. There have been many times that communities are taken by surprise when decisions are made, especially by local governments.
“It would be helpful if all the plans are laid out to the masses, so they would be able to react accordingly,” he said.
Muguntan’s comment came on the heels of the Sabah Law Society (SLS) urging Putrajaya to enact the Freedom of Information Act to enable public access to official information.
SLS president Roger Chin made the call following controversies such as the 1MDB and the recent littoral combat ship scandals.
Speaking to The Vibes, Chin said interested citizens should be given the right to examine the government’s operations via the access of documents held in public offices.
“The extent of non-disclosure should be limited only to documents or information that would be harmful to public interests (or to certain private interests which Parliament considers worthy of protection).
“Even so, there should be a timeframe for official secrets, say about 30 years, where everything that is classified automatically becomes declassified,” said Chin, adding that such documents should include the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
According to him, most of the MA63 documents have been declassified in the United Kingdom, but are still considered official secrets in Malaysia, making it illegal to reveal them in the country.
Red tape: of fees and paperwork
Penang-based journalist Predeep Nambiar said states that enable freedom of information would lend credence to an open government policy and improve governance at the same time.
“Voters will thank the government and if mistakes were done or inefficiencies happen, they can be identified and rectified.
“It is what a good government would do – allow itself to be open to scrutiny,” said Predeep.
Citing from experience working on the field, he said Penang appears to be more willing to share information than Selangor. Both states have enacted legislation on freedom of information.
“But still a lot of red tape remains in getting that information – from high fees to paperwork.
“States which claim to be an open book should be more than willing to reveal all details related to government proceedings. After all, taxpayers have the right to know,” he said.
Meanwhile, a Sabah-based political analyst agrees that there is nothing wrong with the country to have a transparency law provided there are some kind of limitations.
These limits can pertain to matters relating to security, safety and crime prevention, as well as those classified under the Official Secrets Act and social contract.
“When it comes to social contract, it relates to almost every aspect of the people’s lives,” the analyst said.
“These include matters related to public university enrollment, scholarships, and Bumiputera special privileges.
“If Sabah were to introduce the law, careful planning needs to be done first, such as forming a committee to study and finalise the details before drafting the bill.” – The Vibes, August 17, 2022
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