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Select committee to probe Bersih 2.0 for breaching embargo

Select committee to probe Bersih 2.0 for breaching embargo

PUCHONG: The Dewan Rakyat is seeking to probe electoral reform watchdog Bersih 2.0 for breaching the embargo on the 2017 Sabah redelineation report.

The motion is listed in the Dewan Rakyat Order Paper.

It stated that an ad hoc select committee will be probing the matter. the committee will be led by Dewan Rakyat Speaker Dato’ Mohamad Ariff bin Md Yusof as committee chairman.

Six others will make up the committee.

They are:
Datuk Wira Dr. Md Farid bin Md Rafik (Tanjung Piai-Bersatu)
Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar bin Mohd Akin (Hang Tuah Jaya-PKR)
Sivakumar Varatharaju Naidu Batu Gajah-DAP)
Ahmad bin Hassan (Papar-Warisan)
Dato’ Sri Ismail Sabri bin Yaakob (Bera-Umno) dan
Dato’ Dr. Mohd Khairuddin bin Aman Razali (Kuala Nerus-PAS)

The committee will be entrusted to determine if the Sabah redelineation report and two other relevant reports were embargoed documents until they were tabled in the Dewan Rakyat on July 17.

The committee will also identify if any individual broke the embargo order.

Action will be taken under the House of Parliament (Privileges and Powers) Act 1952 if Bersih 2.0 was found to be guilty.

The NGO stressed that the public must be kept informed on the contents of the delineation report before it was voted.

“Bersih expresses deep disappointment that its call on July 9 for the embargo to be lifted was ignored and that the public is kept in the dark on this important decision, as no media could report on the report,” the NGO said.

However, the demand of the electoral watchdog was not heeded.

On July 16, one day before the Sabah redelineation report was tabled in the Dewan Rakyat and the motion debated in the House, Bersih revealed the contents of the report.

For breaking the embargo, the group said it would pay the RM1,000 fine to the Dewan Rakyat Speaker’s Office.