KUALA LUMPUR: Several amendments are being considered to further strengthen the Whistleblower Act, the Dewan Rakyat was told.
This includes amendments to Section 6 and 11, as well as measures allowing more efficient investigations, the introduction of a standard rewards scale for whistleblowers and providing physical protection for whistleblowers under the Witness Protection Act, according to Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reforms) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.
“Several policy proposals are being considered to be presented for the Cabinet’s consideration, hopefully at the coming meeting.
“Hopefully, it can then be brought to Parliament in this session, if agreed on by the Cabinet,” she said during question time on Tuesday (Feb 5).
Azalina explained that amendments to Section 6 are aimed at avoiding overlap with existing legislation and encouraging whistleblowing without any possible barriers due to other laws.
Amendments to Section 11 aim to provide an extension of witness protection for whistleblowers who do so out of good faith.
Other proposed amendments include harmonising Sections 8 and 14 to allow enforcement agencies to investigate effectively and efficiently without violating existing provisions under the Whistleblower Act.
Azalina said there is also a proposal to form a task force in efforts to transition towards a centralised agency overseeing protection for whistleblowers.
She was responding to a question by Teresa Kok (PH-Seputeh) who asked about updates on amendments towards the Whistleblower Act.
Separately, Azalina said there are also no plans to amend the Whistleblower Act to provide protection for whistleblowers who expose matters publicly.
She also explained that authorities will evaluate if the information given warrants the whistleblower being given protection.
“The authorities will justify whether this is needed. We cannot just use the public domain and later ask for protection.
“There are also times when the whistleblower is not doing it in good faith,” she said in response to a supplementary question by Kok
Kok asked about the whistleblower implicated in mineral prospecting licences in Sabah.
The individual claimed to possess eight secret video recordings of alleged bribery involving senior Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) leaders.
The allegations were supported by a pre-recorded video interview released online.
Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor has dismissed the allegations, describing them as politically motivated and designed to destabilise the government.
