Penang Gerakan has hit out at the state government, claiming it is inefficient and negligent over the tabling of the Freedom of Information Bill at the State Legislative Assembly.

Penang Gerakan’s head of publicity, information and communications bureau, Dr Thor Teong Gee said the state government seemed to take lightly over such an important matter.

“There seems to be a slip-shod attitude, with no urgency and lack of sincerity for views from various groups, including non-governmental organizations (NGOs),” he said at a press conference outside the state legislative assembly hall yesterday (May 4). Also present were Penang Gerakan’s legal and human rights bureau chief Baljit Singh and Umno’s Hassan Din.

Dr Thor said the Penang Barisan Nasional would like to know what had happened when two months had passed and more than 30 organisations including Gerakan had given their inputs on the FOI Bill.

“Why is it that the DAP-led state government cannot produce a draft of the FOI Bill on its own instead of duplicating the Selangor FOI Bill which is full of legal pitfalls? Will the proposals made by Gerakan and the various NGOs be incorporated?” he asked.

He said the proposals contained amongst others the commitment to promote freedom of information, freedom of press, giving the public easier access to state department and state agency records.

Dr Thor said since the state government had now deferred tabling the FOI Bill for second reading, it owed the people a full explanation to its “promise of participatory democracy”, as stated by Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng. (The first reading of the Bill was tabled at the state assembly in November 2010).

He said the DAP had claimed that the Official Secrets Act (OSA) is draconian. And yet the FOI Bill proposed by the state government specifically defines “information as those classified under the Official Secrets Act 1972 and such information cannot be made available.”

“There is also a condition in the proposed Bill which stipulates a fine of RM50,000 or two years imprisonment or both for misuse of information. This penalty is punishing those who seek transparency and accountability in the state government,” Dr Thor added.

The consequences from objections from Gerakan, NGOs and other organizations had prompted the state government to set up the Select Committee to study the Bill which was held on Feb 14 and 21, 2011.

Dr Thor also asked the state government to disclose full details on the Penang Free Wifi contract, the sPICE’s terms and conditions and its plan in dealing with illegal telco structures.

He lamented that there was no contract and no open tender on the so-called free WiFi service in Penang.

Baljit said the state government should have first obtained public feedback on the FOI Bill instead of tabling it for first reading at the State Assembly, and then now regrettably had to defer the Bill.

by Editorial Desk
gerakan4u.com