EXEMPTION From OSA

PETALING JAYA: Mentri Besar-designate Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim wants to make Selangor free of the Official Secrets Act (OSA).

He said he had prepared a draft and would discuss the matter with a legal adviser to see if Selangor could be exempted from enforcing the Act so that people have the right to information on state management matters.

“Then, the people will know the efforts of the state administration, and we can have check and balance,” Khalid told a press conference yesterday. He refused to comment on speculation that two deputy mentris besar would be appointed – one each for the Chinese and Indian communities.

“I have to check on the provisions of the state government over the matter,” he said. Khalid said the state government should be more people-oriented in the distribution of resources rather than base it on political allocation. He also hoped to implement an open tender system for all government projects.

Khalid, the former CEO of Guthrie Bhd, said he needed 100 days to familiarise himself with the affairs of the state.

On whether PKR would continue to maintain Selangor’s developed status, he said, he would maintain the state's growth rate and would only consider it developed if all the rakyat enjoy good development.

Asked if he would give up his state seat for PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, he said: “I do not think Anwar is interested in handling state affairs.”

Asked if he would abolish the New Economic Policy, Khalid said the policy was not in the Constitution and was merely an administrative document.

However, the policy needed to be adjusted to accommodate certain communities, he said.