Commonwealth recognition for Selangor’s FOI law

SHAH ALAM: Selangor’s historic move to pass the Freedom of Information (FOI) enactment has been highlighted in the global journal The Parliamentarian.

The four-page article titled Freedon of Information in Selangor: Building Better Governance was written by Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim and published in this year’s first issue of the quarterly journal.

“Access to information is the best way in which people can keep a government accountable to its responsibilities in ensuring taxpayers’ money [is] spent with wisdom and care,” said the Menteri Besar.

“[A] government that is confident about its governing practices [should have] nothing to hide,” he added.

Published by the Commonwealth Parliamentarian Association, The Parliamentarian prints articles, analyses and bibliographical information on parliamentary democracies written by speakers and ministers worldwide.

Selangor tabled the FOI enactment last July and passed it in the state assembly on April 1 after consulting various stakeholders, including civil servants and civil society groups.

Expected to be enforced by the end of 2011, the FOI enactment will allow public access to information on state departments, local councils and all state-owned and state-controlled bodies.

The state is in the process of appointing and training information officers in each department to handle public requests for information, drafting application forms, and sorting out other procedures needed to enforce the law.

Under the enactment, civil servants are subjected to a heavy penalty – up to RM50,000 fine or five years’ jail, or both – if they are convicted of intentionally giving false or misleading information to the public.

The public can also appeal to the State Information Board if their request for information is rejected. The Board will be led by former legal practitioners and independent members.

Media watchdog The Centre for Independent Journalism had lauded the passing of Selangor’s FOI law as a “breakthrough” amid an entrenched culture of secrecy among our government bodies backed by the Official Secrets Act.

“The ethos behind the FOI enactment is the state government’s belief that the people are the true owners of any information, and that governments are merely stewards of the resources on behalf of its citizens,” said Khalid in the article.

Source: Selangor Times Issue 28 (June 10-12, 2011)