Expensive transport solutions may not be suitable for Penang. Only with decent information in place, reduced road congestion by proper planning and a bit of driving etiquette can the bus system become a valid alternative to private cars, says Florian Ladage. Continue reading »
Democratisation beckons even in Sarawak, where Muslim Melanau strongmen have held sway for a few decades. As civil society and access to information expands, it could trigger a tsunami big enough to sweep away not only these strongmen but also the entire Sarawak BN, predicts Faisal S Hazis.
The US has been going in the wrong direction for years by classifying millions of documents as secrets. In countering that, Wikileaks has the potential to make transparency and accountability more robust in the US, writes Bill Quigley. Continue reading »
As there is no evidence that the BN government is interested in guaranteeing us our basic rights, the Selangor, Penang, Kedah and Kelantan state governments should take the lead in showing us what sort of changes can and should be made, says Ong Jing Cheng.
Fifty-nine civil society groups today expressed surprise that the Selangor Mentri Besar appeared to be backtracking on his commitment to introduce a freedom of information law in the state. According to press reports, Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim said that the Federal Constitution provided that state laws would be declared null and void if they contravened a federal law, in this case the Official Secrets Act 1972 (OSA).
Sonia Randhawa calls on the government to repeal the Official Secrets Act and implement a Freedom of Information Act.