PETALING JAYA: Civil society groups have warned that the proposed Freedom of Information (FOI) Act may fall short of real reform unless it breaks what they call a culture of secrecy in government and guarantees access to information as a legal right.
The call was supported by 58 organisations and 59 individuals, in a joint statement issued on Tuesday by the Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism, Centre for Independent Journalism and Article 19.
They said the law must be effective, progressive and grounded in human rights, stressing that access to information is essential for democracy, public participation and accountability.
The groups outlined four key requirements for the proposed framework.
First, they said all information held by public authorities should be presumed public and disclosed by default, with limited exemptions based on clearly defined legal grounds.
Second, the Act should apply to all federal ministries, departments, agencies and statutory bodies, with no blanket exemptions.
Third, they called for an independent body to oversee implmentation of the Act, issue binding decisions on appeals and set guidelines for FOI implementation.
They said the body must have access to all relevant documents, even under secrecy laws, added that an Ombudsman could take on this role with adequate funding and manpower.
Fourth, they urged proactive disclosure, where information is routinely published and updated so that FOI requests become a last resort.
