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MEDIA STATEMENT
17 July 2006
BRIDGE ISSUE : THE FOUR LETTERS AND FREEDOM OF INFORMATION
GERAK applauds the declassification and release of documents
associated with the cancelled scenic bridge project across
the Tebrau Straits yesterday by the Prime Ministers Office.
While it could be argued that such a move is long overdue, the
publication of the documents would allow the public to
finally judge for themselves the truth behind various
allegations made for and against the government in this
controversial decision.
However, publishing the documents will not address other key
issues of transparency and accountability in government
unless and until such a move is made a permanent feature of the
check and balance mechanism. A one-off publication, based on
temporary necessity, allows only a snapshot at the working
of the government. It does not reflect a commitment to be
more open and less bureaucratic, unnecessarily secretive and
conspiratorial perceptions which continue to persist about
the government. The publics right to know should not be
limited to occasions where it is to the advantage of the
government to lift the veil of secrecy. On the other hand,
the government continues to cover up certain issues for which
publication of documents could be politically explosive. Even
this recent move, only certain pre-selected and
pre-approved documents deemed politically harmless were
released possibly distorting the bugger picture in favour of the
Prime Ministers version of events.
GERAK again calls for a Freedom of Information Act to be
implemented in Malaysia. The lack of trust by the
government to the public is unfortunate and allows suspicion to
rile when openness should prevail. Countless times,
wrongdoers and abusers of public trust have hidden behind
the Official Secrets Act to justify the non-disclosure of their
actions, obstructing investigations and justice from
taking its course. A Freedom of Information Act would
allow the public to restore its faith in the political system of
the country, where accountability hangs over public
servants and politicians as a permanent check on their
behaviour at all times.
Excesses and abuses of authority can only be limited by decisive
pro-active moves to prevent their concealment behind
unnecessary and ridiculous laws. The law should protect
whistleblowers and not punish them. The participation of the
public in accessing information and using their own
faculties to judge and evaluate them is a key part of a
flowering democracy. Participation in government by the public
can only help to make democracy stronger. Reasons of
national security should be used only in the very extreme of
cases and not given out as the standard excuse every time a
citizen tries to find out the
truth behind the governments pronouncements.
GERAK hopes that this move is not a blip in the screen which
comes but once in a few years. Instead it should be a
first step towards more sunshine on government actions.
corruption is countrys no. 1 enemy
MOHAMAD EZAM MOHD NOR
Chairman
B-1012 Block B 10th Floor Kelana Square Jalan SS 7/26 Kelana
Jaya 47301 Petaling Jaya
Selangor Darul Ehsan
Web : www.gerakmalaysia.org eMail : gerakmalaysia@gmail.com
Tel : +603-7804-9632/4962 (Tel) +603-7803-9423 (Fax)
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