Speaker: Muhyiddin and Ahmad Husni may have breached oaths

TWO former Cabinet ministers may have breached their ministerial oath of secrecy by disclosing confidential information in Parliament, says Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia.

He said a ministerial oath requires a minister not to disclose information gained during their time as ministers.

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 while they were debating the Budget 2017 speech.

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

“There are certain guidelines we need to follow when we are in Parliament. MPs can’t use their position as a licence to say whatever they please. There are certain Acts like the Official Secrets Act (OSA) and Sedition Act.

“Although you know something, you need to be careful as there is Standing Order 36(12). So we need to keep certain things in confidence,” he said in a press conference at Parliament House.

Pandikar Amin stressed that ministers needed to be ethical and keep Cabinet matters confidential.

Asked on whether the two former ministers had defied their oath, he said: “Yes, from what I heard and what they had said was based on the information they had heard as ministers.

“When you take the oath, you don’t disclose anything to anyone else the things you learn during your time in position. That’s ethics.”

As Speaker, Pandikar Amin said he had a duty to remind ministers on the laws that can be used against them.

“But that’s all I can do, just remind them,” he said.

On Wednesday, Muhyiddin had claimed that the Cabinet had not addressed his requests and suggestions on 1MDB during his time as a minister.