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Freedom Of Information in Malaysia: International Legal Instruments and Restrictions Under National Law

The acceptance of Freedom of Information (FOI) as a fundamental mechanism for enhancing accountability and transparency in the public sector is widely recognized. Numerous international legal instruments (Conventions) have advocated for the establishment and enforcement of legal frameworks pertainin...

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Main Authors: Abdul Hadi, Khairul Anuar, Abdul Rahman, Rohana, Ayub, Zainal Amin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: UUM Press 2024
Subjects:
K Law (General)
Online Access:https://repo.uum.edu.my/id/eprint/30487/1/UUMJLS%2015%2001%202024%20221-247.pdf
https://doi.org/10.32890/uumjls2024.15.1.10
https://repo.uum.edu.my/id/eprint/30487/
https://e-journal.uum.edu.my/index.php/uumjls/article/view/19347
https://doi.org/10.32890/uumjls2024.15.1.10
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spelling my.uum.repo.304872024-02-27T15:30:44Z https://repo.uum.edu.my/id/eprint/30487/ Freedom Of Information in Malaysia: International Legal Instruments and Restrictions Under National Law Abdul Hadi, Khairul Anuar Abdul Rahman, Rohana Ayub, Zainal Amin K Law (General) The acceptance of Freedom of Information (FOI) as a fundamental mechanism for enhancing accountability and transparency in the public sector is widely recognized. Numerous international legal instruments (Conventions) have advocated for the establishment and enforcement of legal frameworks pertaining to the FOI. The FOI legislation serves two essential functions, namely enhancing democratic engagement and mitigating corruption within the public sphere. Despite the acceptability of FOI on the global stage, Malaysia lacks a comprehensive legal framework to address the right to access information, except for Selangor and Penang. Additionally, there are various national legislations that hinder the exercise of FOI. This article’s objective is to examine the use of the FOI concept within the framework of international legal instruments as well as the challenges posed by Malaysian national laws that impose limitations on its implementation. The objective is achieved by employing a doctrinal methodology that incorporates international legal instruments as well as Malaysia’s legislations (Constitution, Acts and Enactments) pertaining to the FOI. The findings show the restrictions under national law make it difficult to implement FOI legal regimes in Malaysia. This paper argues that implementing FOI can only be materialized through a comprehensive review of existing laws and administrative structure reform by adapting universal standards on FOI as stated under international legal instruments. This article serves as guidelines for policymakers intending to address FOI as the anti-corruption mechanism in public sectors. Moreover, recommendations are made for the implementation of FOI into Malaysia’s domestic laws. UUM Press 2024 Article PeerReviewed application/pdf en cc4_by https://repo.uum.edu.my/id/eprint/30487/1/UUMJLS%2015%2001%202024%20221-247.pdf Abdul Hadi, Khairul Anuar and Abdul Rahman, Rohana and Ayub, Zainal Amin (2024) Freedom Of Information in Malaysia: International Legal Instruments and Restrictions Under National Law. UUM Journal of Legal Studies (UUMJLS), 15 (1). pp. 221-247. ISSN 2229-984X https://e-journal.uum.edu.my/index.php/uumjls/article/view/19347 https://doi.org/10.32890/uumjls2024.15.1.10 https://doi.org/10.32890/uumjls2024.15.1.10
institution Universiti Utara Malaysia
building UUM Library
collection Institutional Repository
continent Asia
country Malaysia
content_provider Universiti Utara Malaysia
content_source UUM Institutional Repository
url_provider http://repo.uum.edu.my/
language English
topic K Law (General)
spellingShingle K Law (General)
Abdul Hadi, Khairul Anuar
Abdul Rahman, Rohana
Ayub, Zainal Amin
Freedom Of Information in Malaysia: International Legal Instruments and Restrictions Under National Law
description The acceptance of Freedom of Information (FOI) as a fundamental mechanism for enhancing accountability and transparency in the public sector is widely recognized. Numerous international legal instruments (Conventions) have advocated for the establishment and enforcement of legal frameworks pertaining to the FOI. The FOI legislation serves two essential functions, namely enhancing democratic engagement and mitigating corruption within the public sphere. Despite the acceptability of FOI on the global stage, Malaysia lacks a comprehensive legal framework to address the right to access information, except for Selangor and Penang. Additionally, there are various national legislations that hinder the exercise of FOI. This article’s objective is to examine the use of the FOI concept within the framework of international legal instruments as well as the challenges posed by Malaysian national laws that impose limitations on its implementation. The objective is achieved by employing a doctrinal methodology that incorporates international legal instruments as well as Malaysia’s legislations (Constitution, Acts and Enactments) pertaining to the FOI. The findings show the restrictions under national law make it difficult to implement FOI legal regimes in Malaysia. This paper argues that implementing FOI can only be materialized through a comprehensive review of existing laws and administrative structure reform by adapting universal standards on FOI as stated under international legal instruments. This article serves as guidelines for policymakers intending to address FOI as the anti-corruption mechanism in public sectors. Moreover, recommendations are made for the implementation of FOI into Malaysia’s domestic laws.
format Article
author Abdul Hadi, Khairul Anuar
Abdul Rahman, Rohana
Ayub, Zainal Amin
author_facet Abdul Hadi, Khairul Anuar
Abdul Rahman, Rohana
Ayub, Zainal Amin
author_sort Abdul Hadi, Khairul Anuar
title Freedom Of Information in Malaysia: International Legal Instruments and Restrictions Under National Law
title_short Freedom Of Information in Malaysia: International Legal Instruments and Restrictions Under National Law
title_full Freedom Of Information in Malaysia: International Legal Instruments and Restrictions Under National Law
title_fullStr Freedom Of Information in Malaysia: International Legal Instruments and Restrictions Under National Law
title_full_unstemmed Freedom Of Information in Malaysia: International Legal Instruments and Restrictions Under National Law
title_sort freedom of information in malaysia: international legal instruments and restrictions under national law
publisher UUM Press
publishDate 2024
url https://repo.uum.edu.my/id/eprint/30487/1/UUMJLS%2015%2001%202024%20221-247.pdf
https://doi.org/10.32890/uumjls2024.15.1.10
https://repo.uum.edu.my/id/eprint/30487/
https://e-journal.uum.edu.my/index.php/uumjls/article/view/19347
https://doi.org/10.32890/uumjls2024.15.1.10
_version_ 1792158602815864832
score 13.211869

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