Revealing confidential information in Parliament is tantamount to breaching oath of secrecy

KUALA LUMPUR: Former cabinet ministers may have breached their oath of secrecy by revealing confidential information in Parliament, says Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia.
Pandikar said each minister must take an oath that requires them to not disclose information they gained during their time in the cabinet.
Pandikar was referring to statements made by former deputy prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and former finance minister Datuk Seri Husni Hanadzlah while they were presenting their parliamentary speeches on Budget 2017.
"You heard the things they said, you can assess whether those were things he had learnt during his time as a minister or not. If it is the information we get while we are in position, that means we have already gone against the oath.
"There are certain guidelines we need to follow. In Parliament we can say whatever and when we are debating no action might be taken, but there are certain acts like the Official Secrets Act (OSA) and Sedition Act.
"It is all there, so I advise that although you know something, you need to be careful as there is Standing Order 36(12) and so we need to keep certain things in confidence," Pandikar said during a press conference at Parliament today.
Pandikar said lawmakers should not use their position to say what they please and cabinet ministers should also be ethical in keeping confidential information.
"If you ask me, yes, from what I heard and he said that was based on info he heard as a minister. So yes.
"It was said that the cabinet had not acknowledged his (Muhyiddin's) decision and that was cabinet info.
"It is clear in the oath. When you take the oath you don't disclose anything to anyone things you learn during your time in position, that's ethics," Pandikar added.
He added the Speaker's job is to only remind the ministers on existing laws that can be used against them.
"All I can do is remind them.
"Remember Sedition Act and OSA (Official Secret Act). But that's all I can do, just remind them," Pandikar said.
On Wednesday Muhyiddin had claimed that the cabinet had not addressed his requests and suggestions on 1MDB during his time as a minister.