Malaysians have a right to know the facts behind the decision to scrap the crooked bridge project, a senior lawyer said today.

Former Bar president Zainur Zakaria said the government owes the people an explanation on why the bridge will not be built.

"We want to know the truth. We want to know the facts. If the government claims that it was done in the interest of the people, then the people have the right to be given the correct information.

"Otherwise, don't claim it is the people's decision because we can't make decision in ignorance," he said, adding that the government must uphold its claims of being transparent.

He was speaking at a press conference convened by Matthias Chang, the ex-aide to former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Zainur, who spoke towards the end of the two-hour session, blamed newspapers for unquestioningly supporting the government's decision.

"They are not even prepared to expose the true facts. You cannot claim that it is the decision of the people when we don't even know what the facts are.

"How can you say the people have decided? When did they ask the people to decide? When were the facts put before the people?"

False claims

He refuted claims that it was the people's decision.

"How can we ever give a consensus when we don't know the facts?" he repeated the poser, reading from Ahmad Fuzi's statement indicating that BN MPs represented the people's consensus.

"The fact remains that the people have a right to know the true reasons why the bridge is not going to be built."

He also chided those who were making various statements on the bridge issue without knowing the actual facts.

"Everybody is so free to speak but not on the facts, so you have ministers contradicting the prime minister's statement and so on.

"I don't know if this is the result of the freedom of expression which the prime minister is trying to implement."

Referring to the furore over Approved Permits last year, Zainur said everyone was speaking but ended up contradicting each other.

"Sometimes it is so bad to the extent that we don't even know what the official position of the government is on some issues."

He also expressed disappointment that his letters asking for the facts of the decision to scrap the bridge were not published by the New Straits Times and The Sun .

"Of course I know their modus operandi, their approach. I know that I'm also too critical of certain things, even of the government.

"But under the present leadership we claim there is press freedom, unless it is defamatory or to incite racial unrest. So what is wrong in writing a letter asking for the truth?"

He asked why the newspapers didn't see it fit to publish "a simple letter asking for the true facts behind the reason why the bridge project will not proceed".

Unfit to publish

The people, he said, deserved to have all the relevant information if their names are being used to justify major decisions.

"If you complain about the past leadership, then what's the difference with the new one? It's only a different set of people taking over the media now. They are there to cater for the interests of certain people now in power.

"And we, the people, have been waiting a long time to see some improvements. But it's not happening, we don't see anything yet."

Conceding that the status quo had remained for a long time, Zainur said it was time for the people to do something about it.

Referring to Anwar Ibrahim, he said the ex-deputy premier had also claimed to have been helpless to make changes while in government.

"But look, you were there (in government) for 16 years. Then, what were you doing all those years? What did you actually do when you claimed you couldn't do anything?

"(Former deputy premier) Musa Hitam resigned on a matter of principle because he couldn't agree with Mahathir. If Anwar doesn't agree with Mahathir, why didn't he resign?"

The option to quit, he said, could be taken by any member of the cabinet if they disagree with a decision.

He said Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Singapore Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew and ex-premier Goh Chok Tong cannot now claim not to represent the Malaysian or Singapore governments or their respective cabinets.

"Pak Lah cannot now turn around to say that the decision to build the bridge was a cabinet decision. You were part of that cabinet, so it was your decision too."