Committees Given Three Months to Scrutinise Freedom of Information, Admiralty Jurisdiction Bills
Azalina Othman Said says the committees will engage a wide range of stakeholders before submitting recommendations to Parliament.
KUALA LUMPUR: Two committees set up to scrutinise the proposed Freedom of Information Bill and the Admiralty Jurisdiction Bill will hold engagement sessions with various stakeholders as part of the process.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Azalina Othman Said announced this after chairing the first meeting of the committees, which were tasked with examining the two bills in detail as agreed by the Dewan Rakyat in July.
"Both committees, which began their meetings today, will continue with a series of respective meetings before finalising their scrutiny and recommendations for improvement to be submitted to Parliament, expected at the next sitting," a statement said.
Information access and maritime law
The proposed Freedom of Information Bill aims to strengthen the public's right of access to information through a balanced, transparent and accountable legislative framework.
The proposed Admiralty Jurisdiction Bill, meanwhile, seeks to modernise the country's maritime legal framework in line with international best practices.
Who will be consulted
Azalina said engagement will be held with ministries and government agencies, legal experts and academics, professional bodies and industry players, the Bar Council, as well as representatives of relevant non-governmental organisations and civil society groups.
The committees have been given three months to complete their scrutiny of both bills.
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