‘CEP report is for all’

The people’s curiosity over the Council of Eminent Persons’ findings may be answered. Chairman Tun Daim Zainuddin wants them made public. So does Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Azmin Ali who says there’s nothing in the report that violates national security.

PETALING JAYA: Several lawmakers and analysts have questioned the need to classify the Council of the Eminent Persons’ (CEP) 100-day report under the Official Secrets Act (OSA).

Ayer Hitam MP Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong said the report should be made public if the government was serious in implementing reforms.

“Be transparent about it. This is what Pakatan Harapan has been championing all this while,” he said.

Dr Wee said classifying the report as a “big secret” would be unfair in light of Pakatan’s assurances.

“They talk about CAT (credibility, accountability and transparency) and not the cat at home,” he said, adding that he was waiting for a response from the government on the CEP, which he raised as a written motion under Parliament’s Order Papers.

Ipoh Timur MP Wong Kah Woh said he had raised the issue about the CEP report during Question and Answer Time as it concerned proposals on reforms.

“I think it will only be wise for the government to consider making the report public,” he said.

Wong, who is also the Public Accounts Committee deputy chairman, said the move would allow the public to debate over it and work together towards reforms.

Port Dickson MP Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who heads Parliament’s Caucus on Reforms and Governance, said: “We will look into it”.

Senator Datuk Raja Kamarul Bahrin said the report might be kept under lid due to intricacies related to 18 ministries.

Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah said contents of the CEP report should be made public as it was the majority’s opinion.

“We want to know what is being considered by the CEP,” he said but conceded that it was Pakatan’s prerogative as the ruling coalition.

Universiti Malaya Economics and Administration Faculty Prof Edmund Terence Gomez, who was also called in by the CEP to present his insights and suggestions, felt disappointed.

“Based on the large number of people that the CEP had met, I am sure they would have given a fairly good insight on how the reforms can be done.

“So, in that sense, it is very disappointing and shocking that the report will not be made public.”