Our report has sensitive contents, says CEP member

Jomo Kwame Sundaram says CEP should be disbanded but government is welcome to seek advice from individual members.

(FMT) – A member of the Council of Eminent Persons (CEP) says a report it submitted to the prime minister contains sensitive information which could be abused, and as such should not be made public.

Jomo Kwame Sundaram said some details in the report could affect businesses.

“We have to be very careful about the information because likewise there are things that affect other countries too,” he told a forum today on the theme of economic policies under the Pakatan Harapan government.

Dr Mahathir Mohamad recently said the report, containing recommendations by the five-member council headed by former finance minister Daim Zainuddin was a government business, and would not be revealed to the public.

Agreeing with the prime minister, Jomo said while transparency was important, it did not mean everything could be made public.

He said he hoped Mahathir would share the information with his Cabinet members.

CEP has ended

On whether the CEP should continue its role as suggested by Mahathir, Jomo said it was clear in the appointment letters to the council’s members that their role was for the first 100 days of the PH government.

“The prime minister could still appoint Daim as his special adviser,” said Jomo, adding that members of the council would be happy to help the government in their individual capacities.

“Everyone in the CEP is willing to help.”

He said the CEP should be dismantled as continuing it would only expose it to more criticism.

“The government should not be distracted by controversies,” he added.

Beside Jomo and Daim, three other members of the CEP are former Bank Negara governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz, former Petronas chairman Hassan Marican and billionaire tycoon Robert Kuok.