It maybe better for the Selangor Government to seek the opinion of the Bar Council on this matter, as it will be better.
Selected law firms are good ....but alas, we do not want accusations later on that you selected law firms that may be inclined to provide a justification of Selangor government's 'real position', which may be opposed to the publicly stated positions.
Is it not true that Selangor government has also been 'secretive' using the OSA as it when it pleases?
We want total openness - total disclosure...for all matters. Remember recently, the Selangor MB has been accused of keeping them in the dark.
Salehuddin had despatched a strongly-worded e-mail to all PKR Members of Parliament and assemblymen in the state questioning why Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim had kept them in the dark about the move.Star, 19/11/2009, Parliament: Anwar defends Talam move, Salehuddin’s rights
Anwar, the people were also kept in the dark when RM391 million of their money was used to buy over Talam's debt to 'Selangor'?
Make public Cabinet/State Exco Minutes and Decisions - The people have a right to information. No more secrets..
Selangor exco Ronnie Liu said the Selangor government has appointed two legal firms to study the options it has in order to proceed with declassifying the Bukit Antarabangsa investigation papers.
"We are quite upset that we are not allowed to declassify the landslide investigation reports," said Liu at a press conference in the Selangor state secretariat.
The Selangor government's attempts to declassify the Bukit Antarabangsa papers hit a snag when the federal government objected to the move and threatened to take it to court if it does so.
"We have appointed not one, but two law firms to study the matter and look into the powers of Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim to declassify those documents," said Liu.
He also rubbished the federal government's insistence that the papers should be kept confidential under the Official Secrets Act (OSA).
"The papers are not supposed to be confidential. Only matters involving national security should be under the act. It makes no sense to keep the report under the OSA.
"The report is a matter of public interest and everyone, especially the victims, should have a copy. People have a right to know, the report has already been long delayed as it is," he said.
Freedom of information
Liu further added that the state will continue to push for more declassification of documents and that Khalid will use his powers as defined in the OSA to declassify them.
"The OSA provides discretionary powers to the menteri besar to make public documents that he deems necessary and of public interest," he said.
Liu said the state will continue its commitment towards transparency and accountability by way of a state enactment on Freedom of Information.
He revealed that a draft of the said enactment is in the works and will be tabled at the next sitting of the state assembly.
The landslide on Dec 6 last year occurred at the posh housing area of Taman Bukit Mewah in Bukit Antarabangsa. It claimed five lives and destroyed 14 houses. - Malaysiakini, 24/11/2009, Declassification: MB seeks advice from 2 law firms
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