Zaid: Information leaks can lead to public unease - The Star

KOTA BARU: The Federal Government has to control leakages of sensitive information because it can lead to unnecessary unease among the public if the information is released prematurely or if it becomes misinterpreted.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Zaid Ibrahim said nowadays there are a considerable level of leakages and the Government is concerned and there is need for tighter control.

“It is the practice of any responsible Government. There is some information that is not ready to be digested by the public ,” he said after opening the National Banks Employees Union (NUBE) sports carnival at Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia here Saturday.

On the lodging of police reports against newspapers for publishing the Royal Commission of Inquiry Report on the V.K. Lingam video clip before it was made public, he said: “I am not the person who asked for a police report to be lodged. The media should refer to the rightful parties.”

Zaid said the parties who lodged the report had perhaps felt an offence was committed.

[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/5/17/nation/20080517174733&sec=nation]