IRC to brief CEP on reforms recommendations

KUALA LUMPUR: The Institutional Reforms Committee (IRC) will be meeting the Council of Eminent Persons (CEP) this week to brief the council on its report that was submitted to the CEP on Monday.

The IRC in a statement said the report contains recommendations pertaining to seven key institutions as well as reforms to laws that impinge upon fundamental liberties.

“These recommendations are what we consider to be necessary steps for the reforms that the country needs. The areas of reform we examined are Parliament; Elections; The Judiciary; Law Officers and Legal Service; Anti-Corruption; Police and Immigration; Communications, Media and Information as well as Human Rights Institutions and Laws,” said the committee.

According to the statement, the IRC had made several immediate recommendations on matters, considered to be urgent, most of which have been incorporated in the report.

The committee received approximately 1,000 submissions, letters and e-mails from the public, including submissions that were not directly connected with the scope of study but “raised issues which require attention”.

“We are referring these to the relevant government agencies for their action,” it said.

On top of that, several areas of national importance which could not be sufficiently dealt with in this short period of time, have been recommended for further studies to be conducted.

“There were representations of a personal nature which we could not deal with as they are beyond the ambit of this Committee.

“We thank everyone who took the time and trouble to make submissions to the committee and those who attended dialogue sessions with us,” it said.

Established on May 15, the IRC is chaired by former Court of Appeal judge Datuk K C Vohrah and its members include Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) commissioner and former Court of Appeal Judge Datuk Mah Weng Kwai, National Patriots Association president Brig Gen (Rtd) Datuk Mohamed Arshad Rai, professor of law at University Malaya Professor Datuk Dr Shad Saleem Faruqi and National Human Rights Society president Datuk S Ambiga.