Digital reform roadmap a good move but gaps remain

The Star

2 days ago

PETALING JAYA: Other ministries must emulate the Legal Affairs Division's (BHEUU) initiative to publish a digital roadmap on the government's reforms and new laws, say experts and civil society groups.
'Consistently publishing detailed updates will allow the public to have a better understanding of the status of ongoing reform initiatives,' says the Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4).
The digital roadmap, Petari, which was published on May 23, would address the disconnect people feel with the lawmaking process, said C4's chief executive officer, Pushpan Murugiah.
'Over the past few years, BHEUU has shown its dedication to inclusive and participatory policymaking – which is a practice that should be followed by other ministries,' said Pushpan.
'For instance, the public would benefit from having similar transparency on the status of development of amendments to the Official Secrets Act, and Printing Presses and Publications Act, which are under the Home Ministry,' he said.
While other organisations have commended BHEUU's initiative, they also argued that the roadmap is missing key reforms that had been promised by Pakatan Harapan in its election manifesto.
Projek Stability and Accountability for Malaysia (Projek Sama) says the 'missing' initiatives include reforms to the appointment process for top figures in the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, the Election Commission and the Inspector-General of Police.
'Reforms that are left out, such as those mentioned, should be considered for further studies and implementation before the term for the Madani government ends in 2027,' Projek Sama said.
Petari, a Malay acronym for Peta Reformasi Institusi (Institutional Reform Roadmap) was launched by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reforms) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.
The digital roadmap lists 14 new Bills and amendments to existing laws that BHEUU is working on, as well as six legal studies and six strategic initiatives.
The new laws include one to establish the Ombudsmans office, to regulate funding and financing for political parties and to make Parliament more independent, all of which have been targeted for tabling this year.
Petari also includes amendments to the Election Offences Act, The Whistleblowers Act, the Legal Professions Act, as well as ongoing studies such as the separation of the Attorney-General and the Public Prosecutors offices and the possibility of a Human Rights Tribunal for Malaysia.
Projek Sama added that to improve Petari, the government should publish clear deadlines for when the new laws and amendments will be brought to Parliament and explain any delays.
Petari should also include white papers on reforms to enable better public consultations so that the best solutions can be reached, Projek Sama said.
Aliran, a human rights organisation, also welcomed Petari as a positive first step towards transparent governance that allows civil society to monitor the progress of reforms.
'We welcome the inclusion in the roadmap of key legislation governing freedom of information, an ombudsman's office and the creation of a parliamentary services commission. But critical gaps persist,' Aliran said.
These gaps include initiatives to remove political appointments to government-linked companies, and limits to the prime minister's power to influence the appointment of judges, Aliran said.
'All these Bills will probably be only as effective as the people appointed to lead the offices and entities established under the respective legislation.
'It is time to establish a bipartisan select committee on vetting crucial appointments. Without addressing the appointments processes, even well-designed legislation risks becoming hollow rather than providing meaningful reform,' added Aliran.