PUTRAJAYA: The government is studying a proposal to establish a general policy for the declassification of historical documents currently classified under the Official Secrets Act (OSA), to facilitate public access to such records.
Unity Government spokesman Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil said the Cabinet had agreed with views put forward by several historians on the need for such a policy.
“Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was of the view that the declassification process should be carried out promptly, but carefully,” he said at a press conference after the Cabinet meeting here today.
He said the government would consult the Attorney-General’s Chambers, Home Ministry and police on several related aspects.
However, he said no specific timeframe had been set for implementing the declassification process.
In a separate development, Fahmi said the government had agreed to amend the guidelines on the management of abandoned vehicles to expedite disposal procedures, which had been taking too long.
He said the decision was made after taking into account various views and complaints about the implementation of the existing guidelines.
The proposed amendments were submitted by the Transport Ministry and Housing and Local Government Ministry to improve the management and disposal processes for abandoned vehicles.