KUALA LUMPUR: The government must be cautious about deciding whether to reveal the report by the Council of Eminent Persons (CEP) to the public, said Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
He said this was because some of the CEP’s findings needed further investigations by the relevant authorities.
“It is to avoid the polemics which could affect the outcome of the investigations and confidence of investors.
“What is important (is that) all proposals for improvement which have been accepted are implemented in the best possible way for the well-being and economic stability of the country,” he said during the Ministers’ Question Time at the Dewan Rakyat sitting here today.
He was replying to a question from Ahmad Fahmi Mohamed Fadzil (PH-Lembah Pantai) who asked if the government was ready to publish the report by the CEP in accordance with the principles of transparency, responsibility and freedom of information so as to avoid lies and wrong perceptions by the public.
Replying to a supplementary question from Fahmi on whether the government was considering to have the report in redacted form, Dr Mahathir said: “I need time to answer. There have been many proposals and advice from the CEP that the government has implemented.
“The time has not come to reveal. Perhaps in the future, after action has been taken and there is no possibility of us being sued for defamation and such, then we will reveal,” he said.
The prime minister said that the CEP had officially ended its term of duty on August 19 last year and had presented its final report to him.
“The instruction for its implementation has been handed to the National Centre for Governance, Integrity and Anti-Corruption (GIACC) and the Implementation Coordination Unit (ICU) of the Prime Minister’s Department.
“The CEP report is under the jurisdiction and official duty of the government and all members of the CEP and relevant officials are directly under the Official Secrets Act 1972,” he said.
He said the CEP’s role was as an advisory body to the government and it had carried out its responsibilities with the help of a secretariat, a committee on the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), and the Institutional Reform Committee.
“Two special teams were involved — one for the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project and another for the Multi-Product Pipeline and Trans-Sabah Pipeline projects,” he said.
Replying to a supplementary question from Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan (BN-Pontian) on the government’s efforts to reduce national debt following the increase in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and various debts, he said, “When the GDP increases, the percentage of debt reduces. Secondly, when we settle several debts, so debt reduces. It does not affect the way we govern and develop the country.” – Bernama
