FOI bill puts Malaysia in bottom 10 globally, says rights group
Centre of Law and Democracy says Malaysia’s proposed law would rank 137th out of 142 countries assessed.
On July 13, the Freedom of Information Bill 2026 was referred to a parliamentary select committee for thorough examination. According to the Centre of Law and Democracy, a Canada-based rights watchdog, Malaysia's proposed RTI law would place the country in the bottom 10 globally if passed as drafted. The bill scored 47 out of 150 total points on its RTI rating, ranking Malaysia 137th out of 142 countries assessed.
CLD criticized the bill's requesting procedures, limited access purposes, and stringent penalties for misuse or disclosure of information. They also raised concerns over the proposed oversight mechanism and the Ombudsman's enabling legislation, which has yet to be tabled. The group recommended adding a public interest override, capping extensions, and establishing an independent oversight body.
Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
Also reported by 2 other outlets
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- FOI bill puts Malaysia in bottom 10 globally, says rights group freemalaysiatoday.com
