Ex-ministers reminded of oath

KUALA LUMPUR: Former Cabinet ministers may have breached their oath of secrecy by revealing confidential information in Parliament, said Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia.

He said all ministers take an oath that requires them to not disclose information they gained during their time in office.

He was referring to statements made by former deputy prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and former second finance minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah when speaking on the 2017 Budget in Parliament.

“You heard the things they said, you can assess whether those were learned during their time as ministers or not. If they are information we get while we are in our positions, that means we have already gone against the oath.

“There are certain guidelines we need to follow. There are Acts like the Official Secrets Act (OSA) and Sedition Act.

“It is all there, so my advice is, although you know something, you need to be careful as there is Standing Order 36(12). We need to keep certain things in confidence,” he told reporters at the Parliament lobby yesterday.

On Wednesday, Muhyiddin claimed the Cabinet had not addressed his suggestions regarding government investment company 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) when he was still in office, while Ahmad Husni had raised questions on the controversies facing the firm.