SURENDRAN WARNS: New secrecy provision in Penal Code bill WORSE than OSA

I refer to the new section 203A in the Penal Code amendment bill which is scheduled to be debated in the Dewan Rakyat this week. Effectively, this new section prohibits a public servant from releasing any kind of information to the public upon penalty of imprisonment.

This provision will shroud the public administration of this country in total secrecy. This provision is unprecedented in any modern democracy; and is more suited to a one-party state such as North Korea.

With this provision, the BN is dragging Malaysia further into the dark ages. Why does the BN government need such an stifling and undemocratic law? What do they wish to hide from the public?

The new Section 203A is many times harsher and wider in its application compared to the Official Secrets Act 1972 (OSA). Under the OSA only materials certified by the minister or his appointee is classified top secret/ restricted. But under the new section 203A, everything becomes secret. Even releasing the most trivial information will result in imprisonment of the official who did so and anyone received the information.

The BN government must realize that the public is entitled to information relating to the running of the government and public administration. Whereas the trend in modern democracies is towards greater freedom of information, the trend of the BN government is towards absolute secrecy.

This provision is clearly intended to prevent the public from obtaining information which would expose corruption, financial scandals and mismanagement by the BN government.

The new section 203A constitutes a grave threat to good governance, transparency and democracy.

We call upon PM Najib and the BN government to drop the new section 203A of the Penal Code and instead introduce a Freedom of Information bill in Parliament.

N Surendran is the MP for Padang Serai