Reform platform a good move but lacks key PH manifesto pledges, says civil society group

The Star

5 days ago

PETALING JAYA: The government's new digital platform on institutional reform, PetaRI, has been described as a step in the right direction.
However, civil society group Projek Sama said it still fell short of the deep structural changes promised by Pakatan Harapan in its election manifesto.
Projek Sama commended the initiative, launched by the Legal Affairs Division under Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, saying it reflected a welcome commitment to transparency.
'We congratulate the Madani government and welcome the greater transparency that this brings to conversations around institutional reform,' the group said in a statement on Wednesday (May 28).
PetaRI outlines 14 proposed Bills, six legal studies, and six strategic initiatives aimed at reforming Malaysia's legal and institutional framework.
These include the long-awaited Ombudsman Bill, Political Financing Bill (though lacking any mention of public party funding), the revived Parliamentary Services Act, and a Freedom of Information Bill.
Legal studies on key reforms such as a 10-year term limit for the prime minister, the separation of powers between the attorney general (AG) and public prosecutor (PP), and the viability of a Human Rights Tribunal were also lauded.
Projek Sama, however, raised concerns over what was not included in the platform.
Among the omissions were reforms to the appointments process for key institutions like the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, the Election Commission and the inspector-general of police, which were promised in the Pakatan manifesto.
Also absent were plans for a Fixed-Term Parliament Act, equitable constituency funding laws, electoral boundary reforms, and absentee or postal voting access for Sabahans and Sarawakians residing outside their home states.
The Home Detention Bill, which the Home Minister had previously pledged to table this year, was also not in the platform.
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Projek Sama also urged the government to institutionalise the use of Green and White Papers to encourage public consultations on significant legal or policy reforms.
'Without such papers, stakeholder engagement often occurs in silos, delaying meaningful outcomes. This is evident in how long the Political Financing Bill and Parliamentary Services Act have been delayed,' it said.
The group also called for clear public deadlines for all Bills and amendments listed on the platform, with explanations for any delays.
'It is imperative that the government's efforts to reform our institutions go beyond superficial changes.
"PetaRI should not just be a public relations exercise. The rakyat expect real, meaningful change, not token gestures dressed up as progress,' it added.
When launching PetaRI and the AI Legal Justice Roadmap 2025-2026 on Friday (May 23), Azalina had said a decision on separating the roles of the AG and PP could potentially be finalised before the 16th General Election.