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Tuesday, 15 September 2009

What the public was not told: The Secret Cabinet Papers

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That is why those behind the PKFZ scandal are not scared. They did not do anything wrong. They did not commit a crime. They just did what the Cabinet knew all along they were doing and with the full permission of the Cabinet.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

In Malaysia, Federal Cabinet papers and State EXCO papers are automatically protected by the Official Secrets Act -- whether stamped RAHSIA or not. Of course, so are any other papers marked RAHSIA, Cabinet papers or otherwise -- which is why Ezam was found guilty and sentenced to two years jail when he had in his possession ACA (now MACC) investigation papers related to Trade Minister Rafidah Aziz’s corrupt acts. And the irony of it all is that the ACA as well as the A-G had recommended that Rafidah be arrested and prosecuted although this did not happen in the end because the Prime Minister did not allow it.

One of the reasons these papers are marked RAHSIA, other than for purposes of national security, is to hide the corrupt acts of those who walk in the corridors of power. What the public does not know can’t hurt the public, is the warped logic of the government of the day.

What Malaysia needs is a Freedom of Information Act instead of the Official Secrets Act that we now have. Or at least classified papers (RAHSIA) not involving defence or national security should be declassified after, say, 15 or 20 years, so that the public will know what went on behind the scenes in the corridors of power. (And it should be the task of an independent Ombudsman-type committee that vets these papers and not the decision of just one man).

Well, Malaysia Today can’t wait for papers of public interest to be declassified or for the Official Secrets Act to be abolished and replaced with a Freedom of Information Act. That is why, today, we are publishing the ‘secret’ Cabinet papers related to the PKFZ scandal so that Malaysians will know that the Cabinet had actually endorsed the entire fiasco.

There is no corruption involved in the PKFZ fiasco -- at least not as far as the government is concerned. What happened was exactly what the Cabinet wanted to happen. And that is why no action is being taken with regards to the RM12.5 billion disaster. It was no disaster. The Cabinet knew all along what was going on. And the Cabinet approved it.

That is why those behind the PKFZ scandal are not scared. They did not do anything wrong. They did not commit a crime. They just did what the Cabinet knew all along they were doing and with the full permission of the Cabinet.

By the way, you had better not print out these papers as the police might arrest you and charge you under the Official Secrets Act. Tomorrow, we will reveal more. In the meantime take a look at these four pages. They reveal much as to why Malaysia is having to pay RM12.5 billion of taxpayers’ money to enrich a few who walk in the corridors of power, plus some of their cronies.

This is a Malay-Chinese ‘joint venture’ at its best involving those from Umno and MCA.

Stay tuned for more revelations and by the time we are finished you might just decide to pack your bags and leave the country.


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