Report: Dr M says OSA needed as govt still needs some things to be ‘secret’
If we tell everything we discussed in the Cabinet, a lot of us will be hammered
(MMO) – Scrapping the Official Secrets Act 1972 (OSA) would hinder the federal government’s work at the Cabinet level, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said, indicating the law will stay despite the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition’s promised revision prior to GE14.
Dr Mahathir told news portal Malaysiakini that the Act was necessary to prevent ministers from speaking publicly about discussions confidential to the government.
“If you don’t want to have OSA, we can [do it]. [But] there will be no government because we are restricted, we cannot talk freely in the Cabinet because it will be known to the people.
“There are things we must keep secret… For example, if we tell everything we discussed in the Cabinet, a lot of us will be hammered, you see,” he was quoted saying.
