• Home
  • News
    • Press Statements
    • Speeches
    • Bar News
    • AGMs and EGMs
    • In Memoriam
    • Legal and General News
    • Court Judgments
    • Highlights from the Appellate Courts
  • Members
    • Circulars
    • Peer Support Network
    • Sijil Annual and Payments
    • Benefits
    • Practice Management
    • Professional Development
    • Opportunities for Practice
    • Mentor-Mentee Programmes
    • Laws, BC Rulings and Practice Directions
    • Resources
    • Become a Member
  • Find
    • Legal Directories
    • BC Legal Aid Centres
    • State Bar Committees
    • Law Firms | Areas of Practice
    • Jobs
    • Useful Forms
  • About Us
    • Malaysian Bar and Bar Council
    • President's Corner
    • Committees
    • Previous Committees
    • Contacts
    • Advertising
    • Malaysian Bar Lifetime Achievement Award
  • Public
    • Complaints
    • Legal Aid
    • Notices
    • Compensation Fund
  • Search
  • Login
Search for

New login method: If first-time login, the password is your NRIC No. Call 20502191 for help.

 
Lost your password? Remember Me

 
No User ID/Password for firm? Click here for more information. Forgot Firm Username/Password?

Set a new password

If you have lost your password, you must set a new password. To begin this process, please key in your 12-digit NRIC No. below.

Forgot Firm Username/ Password?

Please enter name of firm or registered email address, indicate whether you want to retrieve your firm's username or password, and click "Submit".

Username Password
 
Access to Member Portal

Please key in your membership number, and click "GO"

BC
Resume Practice Request

Please key in your membership number, and click "GO"

BC
Newly-Called Request

Please key in your pupil code, and click "Submit"

Pupil Code

Change Password


Please enter your Password and Confirm Password then click on the Change Password button.
You will receive a new password shortly. Use this new password to access the site.

Password:
Confirm Password:
 
Change Password


Shortcut
  • Legal Directory
  • Find a Job
  • CPD
  • Online Shop
  • Payments
  • Complaints
  • Committees

Search the site

  • Search Me
Member Login
  • BC Online Facilities
  • Login Type 2
  • Login Type 3
  • Login Type 4
  • About Us
  • Committees
  • Constitutional Law Committee
About Us
Malaysian Bar and Bar Council
  • About Us
  • Bar Council Members
  • Malaysian Bar Secretariat
  • Elections
President's Corner
  • Roll of Presidents
  • Press Statements
Committees
  • * Committees | Introduction
  • Ad Hoc Committee on Conditional Fee Rules (Re Non-Personal Injuries)
  • Ad Hoc Committee on Conditional Fee Rules (Re Personal Injuries)
  • Ad Hoc Committee on Contempt of Court
  • Ad Hoc Committee on Corporatisation of Law Firms and Multi-Disciplinary Practice
  • Ad Hoc Committee on Legal Services Blueprint
  • Ad Hoc Committee on Personal Data Protection
  • Ad Hoc Committee on Sectoral Law and Practice Integration
  • Ad Hoc Committee on Sectoral Law and Practice Integration
  • Ad Hoc Committee on Statelessness
  • Ad Hoc Committee on Touting
  • Ad Hoc Pandemic Response
  • Ad Hoc Parliament Liaison Committee
  • Ad Hoc Peer Support Network
  • Ad Hoc Waqf Committee
  • Advocacy Training
  • AMLA Training Committee
  • Animal Rights Committee
  • Anti-Touting Committee
  • Arbitration
  • Art and Law Committee
  • Bahasa Melayu
  • Building
  • Child Rights
  • Civil Law and Law Reform Committee
  • Committee on AMLA
  • Committee on Orang Asli Rights
  • Committee on Persons with Disabilities
  • Committee on Reform to the Legal Sector
  • Common Bar Course
  • Constitutional Law Committee
  • Construction Law
  • Conveyancing Practice Committee
  • Corporate and Commercial Law Committee
  • Court Liaison
  • Criminal Law Committee
  • Cyber and Privacy Laws Committee
  • Cyberlaw
  • Digital and Communications Committee
  • Enforcement Committee
  • Environment and Climate Change Committee
  • Family Law
  • Finance Committee
  • Human Rights Committee
  • Industrial and Employment Law Committee
  • INSAF Committee
  • Integration
  • Intellectual Property
  • International Affairs Committee
  • International Professional Services Committee
  • Islamic Finance
  • Joint Committee on Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”)
  • Joint Working Committee on ELEVATE
  • Law Reform and Special Areas
  • LAWASIA Conference 2024 Organising Committee
  • LawCare
  • Legal Databases Liaison
  • Legal Profession
  • Legal Tech, AI and Sandbox Committee
  • Mediation
  • Migrants, Refugees and Immigration Affairs Committee
  • MyBar Academy
  • MyBar Ageing Rights Advisory ("MBARA") Committee
  • MyBar Carnival Organising Committee
  • National Legal Aid
  • National Young Lawyers and Pupils
  • Personal Injury Claims and Awards
  • Professional Indemnity Insurance Committee
  • Professional Standards and Development
  • Publications
  • Risk Management
  • Shipping and Admiralty Law
  • Small Firms Practice
  • Solicitors' Remuneration Enforcement
  • Sports
  • Sports and e-Sports Law Practice Committee
  • Strategic Litigation Committee
  • Syariah Court Liaison Committee
  • Syariah Law
  • Task Force on Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission ("IPCMC") and Police Accountability
  • Tax and Customs Committee
  • Tender Review Committee
  • Trade in Legal Services Committee
  • Women's Rights
  • Yayasan Bantuan Guaman Kebangsaan Committee
Previous Committees
  • * Previous Committees | Introduction
  • Ad Hoc Committee on Amendments to the LPA
  • Ad Hoc Committee on Anti-Money Laundering
  • Ad Hoc Committee on Benchmarking Law Firms
  • Ad Hoc Committee on Judicial Commission
  • Ad Hoc Committee On National Legal Aid Foundation
  • Ad Hoc Committee on Quality and Standards
  • Ad Hoc Committee on Rules and Regulations
  • Alternative Dispute Resolution
  • Gender Issues & Equal Opportunities (2005-2007)
  • Institutional and Law Reform
  • International Malaysia Law Conference 2012
  • International Malaysia Law Conference 2014
  • International Malaysia Law Conference 2016
  • International Malaysia Law Conference 2018
  • International Malaysia Law Conference 2020
  • International Malaysia Law Conference 2022
  • International Malaysia Law Conference 2023
  • LawCare Fund Management
  • Library
  • Malaysian Law Conference 2007
  • Malaysian Law Conference 2010
  • Motor Insurance Review Ad Hoc Committee
  • No-Fault Liability Scheme
  • Practice Management Support
  • Safer Malaysia
  • Standing Committee for the Promotion of Best Practices by Detaining Authorities (2005-2007)
  • Standing Committee on Court Rules (2005-2007)
  • Standing Committee on Eliminating Discrimination (2005-2007)
  • Standing Committee to Review LPA 1976
  • Study Loan
  • Task Force on Combined Rules of Court
  • Task Force to Review the Compendium of Personal Injury Awards
Contacts
  • Web Administrator
  • Complaints
  • Legal Aid Centres
  • State Bar Committees
  • Malaysian Bar Secretariat
  • Bar Council Members
  • Bar Council
Advertising
  • Advertise with Bar Council
Malaysian Bar Lifetime Achievement Award
  • Malaysian Bar Lifetime Achievement Award
  • Go back to list
Forum on MPs in Conversation: Freedom of Information – Your Right to Know? (29 July 2011) 18 Aug 2011 12:00 am

Contributed by Yaw Ern Nian, Member, Bar Council Constitutional Law Committee, with photos by Sumitha Shaanthinni Kishna, Executive Officer, and Adi Irman, Administrative Assistant, Bar Council

Our freedom of speech is enshrined in Article 10 of the Federal Constitution.  That being said, what about our right to access public information?  Can restrictive legislation such as the Official Secrets Act 1972 (“OSA”), Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984, Sedition Act 1949 and Internal Security Act 1960 be justified?  In respect of national security, do we have the right to know?  Ronald Reagan, a former President of the United States of America, is famously quoted as having said, “Information is the oxygen of the modern age”.

To address these questions, the Bar Council Constitutional Law Committee (“BCCLC”), in collaboration with The Nut Graph and with the support of Konrad–Adenauer–Stiftung, held a forum entitled “MPs in Conversation: Freedom of Information – Your Right to Know?” at 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm, at the Bar Council Auditorium, on 29 July 2011 (Friday).  The event, the first in a series of public fora featuring Members of Parliament and commentators, was held in conjunction with the release of The Nut Graph’s “Understanding the Dewan Rakyat” book in March 2011.  It was attended by more than 100 participants.



Masjaliza Hamzah, Executive Director of Centre for Independent Journalism, moderated that forum, which started off with a presentation by Professor Abu Bakar b Munir on the general situation of freedom of information around the world.  Professor Abu Bakar b Munir’s presentation was followed by a speech by Charles Santiago, Member of Parliament for Klang and a longtime advocate of freedom of information legislation.  Charles Santiago insisted that the right to information had to be institutionalised; this, in his opinion, would significantly tackle the problem of corruption.  He emphasised that there should not be a culture of secrecy, and explained that matters of public interest, such as water concession agreements, simply could not be covered by the OSA. 

The last speaker of the forum was Khairy Jamaluddin, United Malays National Organisation Youth Chief and Member of Parliament for Rembau.  Although he declared his support for freedom of information legislation, he reminded the audience that safeguards were needed to protect national security in matters relating to defence.  According to him, matters such as the exact specifications of tanks, systems and missiles used should not be discussed in Parliament.

The speeches were followed by a vibrant question–and–answer session that enabled speakers to interact with members of the audience on a wide range of topics, which were not limited to the freedom of information.  Hence, it was truly a case of “MPs in Conversation”!



© Copyright Reserved 2025. Malaysian Bar.
Wisma Badan Peguam Malaysia, 2 Leboh Pasar Besar, 50050 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Terms and Conditions.
 

I'm a

 
 
 
 
 

I'm a