Selangor Freedom of Information Enactment

Media Statement by YB R Sivarasa, Ahli Parlimen Subang dated 2nd April 2011




Re: Selangor’s Freedom of Information Enactment

I welcome the approval of the improved version of the Freedom of Information Enactment at the Selangor State Assembly sitting yesterday and congratulate the Selangor Pakatan Rakyat administration led by Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim and in particular YB Elizabeth Wong and the FOI Select Committee of the Selangor DUN on a historic achievement. This is yet again another proof of the commitment of Pakatan Rakyat in fulfilling our election promises to the rakyat.

The FOI Enactment is concrete evidence of Pakatan’s commitment to democratic transparent and good governance. Pakatan Rakyat would be able to do much more in democratizing Malaysia if we were endowed with a mandate to govern at Federal level.

In the light of Pakatan Selangor’s historic achievement, at the next meeting of Parliament in June when I am allowed to reenter Parliament, I will retable the private member’s Freedom of Information Bill which I first presented in May 2008. Because of the current unfair system practiced by the BN in Parliament where opposition business including private members bills is not allocated any time, the Bill was not allowed to be discussed at all in the several occasions I presented it.

Now that the Selangor Pakatan Rakyat government has taken this initiative, I hope that Barisan National will respect the rights of the rakyat and allow the FOI bill to be debated in the Dewan Rakyat. Or, at the very least, there should be agreement to set up a Select Committee to oversee public consultation of the Bill in the manner the Selangor government has done.

Transparent and good governance are fundamental issues to be dealt with in our country. Slogans of transformation will be meaningless rhetoric unless substantive political reform such as the FOI legislation are also undertaken



YB R Sivarasa

Ahli Parlimen Subang

Ahli Majlis Pimpinan Pusat , PKR Ahli Biro Politik, PKR