Dap Youth Clashes With Kepong Division Over Jac Leak Report

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DAP Youth has expressed disagreement with a police report lodged by its Kepong division, urging authorities to investigate the individual behind the purported leak of a Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) meeting minutes.
“We disagree with the filing of a police report to investigate the individual who exposed the document,” DAP Youth national publicity secretary Ho Chi Yang told Malaysiakini when contacted.
Ho was referring to a report filed by Kepong DAP Youth chief Jefferson Chia yesterday.
In his report, Chia said that if the leak is found to be legitimate, police must identify the individual who leaked the classified document in question and take stern legal action against them.
ADSKepong MP Lim Lip Eng had also stood by the report, stressing that if no action is taken against those responsible for the alleged leak, a dangerous precedent could be set where private discussions and confidential documents, even those concerning matters of national security, can no longer be safeguarded.
Ho said resorting to immediate police reports, at a time when the public is concerned about judicial integrity, could be perceived as an attempt to suppress genuine public scrutiny or oversight.
The Tanah Rata assemblyperson said that while law enforcement agencies can conduct professional, fact-based investigations, such probes should focus solely on verifying the authenticity of the supposedly leaked document.
Doing otherwise, he said in a statement today, would set a precedent that curtails openness or discourages accountability.
“To preserve the independence and sanctity of the judiciary, DAP Youth had previously called on the government to address mounting public questions surrounding the judicial appointments.
“Public confidence in judicial independence can be restored with a timely and transparent explanation,” he added.
OSA probe
Inspector-General of Police Khalid Ismail has since said that police are probing the purported leak under the Official Secrets Act (OSA), the Penal Code, as well as the Communications and Multimedia Act.
Khalid said the investigation, handled by the Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department’s Classified Investigation Unit, will focus on how the internal information could have been exposed and revealed on social media.
Inspector-General of Police Khalid IsmailOn July 12, Malaysiakini reported that an alleged excerpt of a JAC meeting minutes from May might have been leaked on social media.
The minutes supposedly contain allegations echoing those in a leaked police report lodged in June on behalf of a senior judge, who had been accused of judicial interference.
The police report was lodged after Malaysiakini contacted the judge on June 12 seeking comment on certain allegations involving the judge reportedly made during a JAC meeting. - Mkini

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