Kit Siang renews calls for govt to declassify CEP and IRC reports

DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang has renewed calls for the government to declassify the Council of Eminent Persons (CEP) and the Institutional Reforms Committee (IRC) reports.

In a statement today, Lim said the current government has no reason to keep the CEP and IRC reports stored under the Official Secrets Act (OSA) - which was done during Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s second stint as prime minister in 2018.

“The declassification of the CEP and IRC report by the Anwar Ibrahim-led administration is urgent and necessary, as it was never the original intention to classify both reports under the OSA, keeping them away from public debate and discussion.

“A strong case can be made that Mahathir has betrayed the wishes of the people for institutional reforms by locking the CEP and IRC reports,” he said.

Additionally, Lim suggested the government present the Madani Economy narrative in the next parliamentary sitting, adding that if the reports were declassified soon, it could set the tone for the debates.

Meanwhile, he questioned the “secrecy” surrounding the reports.

Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad

“I had always been mystified as to why Mahathir had refused to ask the cabinet and the Pakatan Harapan presidential council to declassify the CEP and IRC reports, unless he had always been a ‘closet’ enemy of institutional reforms in Malaysia.

“Why should there be such secrecy on matters of clear public interest with regard to the hundreds of recommendations related to governance, integrity and corruption prevention in the CEP and IRC reports?” he asked.

Previously, a former member of the CEP, Jomo Kwame Sundaram said the council did not produce a report on the economic and financial policies, stating it was prepared by a secretariat under former finance minister, Daim Zainuddin.

In March 2019, Mahathir appealed for more time before revealing the contents of the report, which was classified under the OSA, arguing it concerned matters that were still being negotiated.

However, the Harapan government collapsed in February 2020.

The members of the IRC included former Bar Council president Ambiga Sreenevasan, retired Court of Appeal judges KC Vohrah and Mah Weng Kwai, National Patriots Association president Mohamed Arshad Raji, and constitutional law expert Shad Saleem Faruqi. - Mkini