TIME: 9^th DEC 2009

VENUE: Shah Village’s Hotel, Petaling Jaya

The President of TIM Datuk Paul Low and Josie Fernandez, Director of Policy /Campaigns /Communications (TIM) facilitated the dialogue with civil society organizations. The Secretariat staff were present to give inputs as well.

The agenda for the dialogue covered the following aspects:

-Coalition building

-Coalition Taskforce

-Strategies

-Launch of Campaign

-Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation

-Funding

The following were the outcomes of the Dialogue:

- The building of a Coalition for the FOI campaign 2010

-A task force was set up comprising the various organizations that attended the dialogue

-The coalition is to be led and funded by TI-M .

The following organizations formed the task force:

Amnesty International (AI), Bar Council (BC), Medan Damansara Residents Association, Centre For Public Policy Studies (CPPS), KOMAS, Malaysian Nature Society, National Union of Journalists (NUJ), Perak Environmental Society, Perak Consumers Association, SEDAR and Tenaganita.

(Several other organizations have indicated they will join the coalition force)

RESOURCE Persons

The following resource persons have agreed to assist in the campaign activities:

-Prof Dr Mohd Sahar (TIM Member /UKM)

-Rash Behari (Editor, individual capacity)

-Dr Goh Ban Lee—(Local Council Expert)

-Prof. Abu Bakar Munir (Faculty of Law,UM)

- M. Krishnamoorthy (Media Consultant)

-Associate Prof. Mary Magdelene (UiTM, individual capacity)

- Assoc. Prof Mustafa Annuar (Mass Comm. USM)

Launch of FOI CAMPAIGN

-During the dialogue it was agreed that the official launch of the FOI campaign would be in February 2010.

-Josie proposed to invite stakeholders from the local and foreign arts scene to give the launch a unique opening and to send the message across on how essential the FOI legislation is to everyone.

-She suggested -Speaker / FOI advocate Nick DeoCampo from the Phillipines, to be invited to the launch. He is an award winning filmmaker, author, film teacher, scholar, film festival organizer, film historian, and now the director of the Center for New Cinema.

- Datuk Paul proposed local arts scene personalities should take centre stage .

CAMPAIGN KIT

-The Task Force and resources persons will assist with information etc required for the production of the campaign kit.

- CAMPAIGN STRATEGIES

- Brainstorming through communication and consultation at different levels-Federal, state, local, public-different strategies for each level.

- Campaign Kit- must contain key messages of FOI issues and resource materials

- Dealing with the Official Secrets Act (OSA)-how to reconcile this legislation with the FOI (review sections of the OSA instead of total repeal)

- reinstate judicial review (time limit for the OSA, de-classification of protected documents),

- Ombudsman (to de-classify documents)

- FOI Day (Symbolic act)

- Address legislators-get ground swell for FOI and relate to citizens’s concerns. Use case studies from India and Indonesia on FOI legislation.

- Provide case studies/examples of current struggles underway as part of the campaign and a little booklet-eg Medan Damansara, Sarawak dams (coalition of indigenous people),

- engage the Judiciary. (some had reservations)

- Establish sub-teams for various task force such as laws, local authorities, environment, etc

- Use the “Balik Kampung” concept when disseminating information on the FOI especially to university/college students. They can spread the FOI message to areas the Coalition may not reach.

- Citizen’s Right To Information-website to be established by the TI-M Secretariat for the Task Force.

- Engage bloggers to write and promote the FOI /give recognition of successful efforts at practising the FOI by Residents Association, reporters, individuals

Greetings from Transparency International – Malaysia (TI-M).

We urge CEOs in Malaysia to sign on to a CEO statement in support of the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC). In a letter to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, CEOs of leading companies called on governments to more effectively and robustly comply with UNCAC by adopting an effective implementation review mechanism at the next Conference of States Parties in Doha in November 2009. The letter was signed by 24 CEOs, including Tan Sri Mohd Hassan Merican of Petronas. The International Chamber of Commerce, Transparency International, the World Economic Forum-Partnering Against Corruption and the Global Compact have initiated a broader campaign inviting business leaders across the globe to support UNCAC by signing on to the CEO statement.

UNCAC is the global legal instrument to fight corruption in both the public and private sectors. It provides compelling legislative and institutional frameworks for States Parties, to effectively prevent and combat corruption domestically and to cooperate across borders.

It is crucial for businesses to support UNCAC; the tenth Principle calls on businesses “to fight corruption in all its forms, including extortion.” UNCAC is legally binding on States Parties, and its spirit and novel provisions are far reaching and have ramifications for all. Fighting corruption is a shared responsibility that requires all stakeholders to play an active role.

TI-M would be most grateful for your continuing support in the fight against corruption, and your support for the CEO statement by adding your name to the list of signatories to the anti-corruption letter. Please send an email with your company name, sector, country and CEO name to uncac-letter@unglobalcompact.org with a copy to TI-M. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you require any clarification. You may also refer to this link for further information on the CEO statement:

http://www.unglobalcompact.org/issues/transparency_anticorruption/CEO_Letter.html

Date    : 22 July 2009 (Wednesday)
Time   : 3pm
Venue : Training Centre, PACOS, Kota Kinabalu

Participants: Community organisers within the Kota Kinabalu area, who are mostly young people and with experience mediating training and organising in communities.

Tentative program:

2.30pm – 3pm : Registration

3pm : Introduction to Objectives of Forum

3.15pm : “Freedom Of Information : Right to Information: Empowering the Rakyat” - V.Gayathry, Executive Director, Centre for Independent Journalism

4pm : Q&A

4.30pm : Refreshments and Programme Ends

It is a short programme that would discuss issues related to freedom of information and local experiences of how lack of information impedes good governance.

The next awareness workshop, which is open to Kelantan Bar Council members, media, NGOs and politicians, will be held on 23 July, 2009 in Kelantan, details of which are as follows:

Date: 23 July 2009 (Thursday)

Time: 2:30pm

Venue: Seminar Room, Hotel Ridel, Lot A-05-01, Blok A, Jalan Pasar Lama, Seksyen 9, 15100 Kota Bahru, Kelantan.

Tentative program:

2.30pm – 3pm: Registration

3pm-3:15pm Welcome remarks by Chairman En Aziz Haniff, Kelantan Bar Council

3:15pm-4:15pm “Freedom of Information: Right To Information-Empowering the Rakyat” – Khairiah Mokhtaruddin (Programme & Research Associate Studies, Centre For Public Policy Studies) and Sevan Doraisamy (Programme Director, Centre For Independent Journalism)

4:15pm-5pm: Q&A

5pm-5: 30pm Program ends/Refreshments will be served

TI-M is pleased to announce that our Secretary-General, Dr. Loi Kheng Min, has been appointed as a Subang Jaya municipal councillor (MPSJ) under the NGO quota, for a one-year term ending 8th July 2010. Dr. Loi said that he would strive to improve the transparency and accountability in the local council and curb corruption in public procurement, such as tenders. Our congratulations to Dr. Loi on this well-deserved recognition and wish him all the very best as he faces the challenges ahead.

Congratulations and best wishes!

FORESTS are the key to the world’s environmental well-being. Their degradation is a pressing social, economic and environmental challenge, affecting the daily lives of millions of people. The importance of forests has long been recognised, yet even after years of advocacy from local and global pressure groups, the illegal harvesting of timber continues to thrive on the back of corrupt behaviour and opaque systems.

Transparency International’s Forest Governance Integrity Programme (FGI) tackles corruption as a primary driver of illegal logging and poor forest management. The programme looks at corruption at all stages in the timber production and processing chain and examines how it facilitates the unsustainable harvesting, production, conversion, export, import and procurement of timber and wood products. The activities of a regional FGI centre in Indonesia and local FGI units in China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands will contribute to curbing corruption and improving forest governance. This will be done by using Tl’s proven strengths and experiences in research, analysis, monitoring, awareness-raising and advocacy, and using them to build on, and strengthen, existing forest governance institutions and initiatives, and help create new ones.

GOAL The Forest Governance Integrity Programme works towards a society where corruption-free forest governance and sustainable management enable increased economic development, poverty reduction and environmental protection.

WHAT WILL THE PROGRAMME ACHIEVE?

The programme contributes to curbing corruption and strengthening forest governance systems in Asia Pacific through improved transparency and accountability. Specifically, it focuses on the following nine Prime Areas of Intervention:

• Reducing political corruption: Improved transparency, accountability and anti-corruption measures in public institutions and political parties in the exercise of their forest sector-related functions.

• Reducing foreign bribery in supply countries: Improved transparency, accountability and anti-corruption measures by forest sector companies in their overseas operations and in their transactions with foreign public officials.

• Reducing corruption in licensing and concessions: Improved transparency, accountability and anti-corruption measures in the issuance and ownership of forest-related licenses and concessions.

• Reducing incidence of timber laundering: Improved transparency, accountability and anti-corruption measures put in place for public institutions and private enterprises responsible for the trans-national movement and certification of timber.

• Reducing judicial corruption: Improved judicial integrity in the adjudication of forest sector-related prosecution and litigation.

• Improving due diligence of financial institutions: Improved practices of financial institutions which service forest sector clients; decreased incidence of money laundering and reduction in loans to companies engaged in illegal forest activities.

• Reducing unsustainable demand for timber and wood products: Improved customs and procurement regulations in countries with sizeable imports.

• Strengthening national/regional forest governance initiatives: More effective development and implementation of initiatives such as the EU FLEGT VPAs (Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade Voluntary Partnership Agreements].

• Strengthening international governance initiatives.

Current Status of Project:

The FGI programme is well on track and its first component, the Forest Governance Integrity Anti Corruption Advocacy Analysis and Monitoring

(FAAA) Phase 1 is rapidly developing.

The Kick Off Meeting was held in Jakarta from 29th of June till the 2nd of July 2009 with the participation of the five involved countries.

The key areas of focus during the Kick Off meeting were on Introduction to the Project, Project Management, Finance Management, Work Plan and Knowledge Management.

Follow-up action proceeding from the Kick Off meeting for the Malaysian Chapter would be:

· To have closer ties with FGI regional office in Jakarta and TI-S

· To produce diagnostic report on Forestry in from Malaysia

· To source for matching fund ( 20% of Funding)

For more information on the FGI project please refer to following link:  http://www.transparency.org.my/scan0007.pdf

Transparency International – Malaysia and The Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) are jointly organising a series of dialogues on Right to Information and its benefits to society.

It is a short programme that would discuss issues related to right to information and local experiences of how lack of information impedes good governance.

The next awareness workshop, which is open to NGOs, students and academics, will be held on 21 June, 2009 in Penang, details of which are as follows:

Date: 21 June 2009 (Sunday)

Venue: Caring Society Complex, Jalan Utama, Penang

Transparency International – Malaysia and The Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) are jointly organising a series of dialogues on Right to Information and its benefits to society.

It is a short programme that would discuss issues related to right to information and local experiences of how lack of information impedes good governance.

The next awareness workshop, which is open to NGOs, students and the public, will be held on 14^th June, 2009 in Ipoh, details of which are as follows:

Date: Sunday, 14^th June, 2009

Venue: 23, Jalan Bangau, Ipoh Garden South, Ipoh(Amnesty International Malaysia group house)

Lunch will be served.

Those who wish to attend, please contact Usha Devi at 012-3707787 or 03-2284 0630 (Santha-TI-M secretariat) as places are limited.

Transparency International – Malaysia and The Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) are jointly organising a series of dialogues on Right to Information and its benefits to society.

It is a short programme that would discuss issues related to right to information and local experiences of how lack of information impedes good governance.

We would like to invite journalists to attend the awareness workshop which will be held:

Date:  27th May (Wed), 2009
Time:  7:30pm -10pm
Venue:  National Press Club, 84, Jalan Tangsi, 50480 Kuala Lumpur.

Participants: Media, NPC members, Bloggers

Speakers: H.R Dipendra (South East Asia Media Defence Network), Noel Dass (Center For Public Policy Studies)

Light food and refreshments will be served

Those who wish to attend, please contact Usha Devi at 012-3707787 or 03-2284 0630( Santha-TI-M secretariat) as places are limited.

A series of half day talks and awareness sessions with targeted groups. These groups will represent, among others, the business, legal, academic and civil society groups, the civil service and political parties. The purpose is to introduce the main ideas of RTI and to persuade or gain support for an RTI legislation. The structure will be a short presentation follow by discussions or Q&A. We will use the pool of trainers as speakers for this activity. It is proposed that we organise about 10 sessions over the year. TI and CIJ can coordinate the organising of the sessions together. Expected period for implementation – between May and August 2009.The first session was held on May 10 in Klang, Selangor.

Forum objectives and aims
The ultimate aim of the Forum is to generate public support for a Right to Information law.

The Forum/Dialogue will:

?    Introduce participants to the basic principles of Right to Information objective.
?    Engage participants on how Right to Information can improve local governance.
?    Promote the UN Convention on Anti-Corruption (UNCAC) and Right to Information as essential rights for a fair, transparent and accountable government.

Forum Format – Half Day Forum (Dialogue – Presentation and Q & A)

The session will begin with a presentation on the basic principles of RTI and where applicable, sharing of cases of local communities in their efforts to access public information. This will be followed by a discussion through questions and answers. Sessions that begin in the morning can end with a light lunch, while those starting later can incorporate refreshments for the forums.

Targeted Groups
Business people,
Legal people,
Academic group
Civil society groups
Civil service
Political parties

Contact
TI-M secretariat at 03-22840630 (Usha /Santha)
CIJ secretariat at 03- 40230772   (Sevan)