AMENDMENTS to the Whistleblower Protection Act may see the witness protection period extended for whistleblowers who act out of good faith and do not have any personal interest in their report.
This would come under Section 11, which currently deals with the revocation of the protection under several conditions such as the disclosure of improper conduct in a bid to avoid dismissal or disciplinary action.
This is among several aspects of the Act that were outlined for possible amendments in efforts to strengthen the legislation, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reforms) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.
However, she said there are no plans to amend the Act to provide protection for whistleblowers who air matters publicly.
The authorities, she said, would evaluate whether the information given to them warrants whistleblower protection.
“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.
“The authorities will justify whether (the protection) is needed,” she told the Dewan Rakyat yesterday during Question Time when Teresa Kok (PH-Seputeh) asked for an update about amending the Act.
Kok had also asked about the whistleblower implicated in the issue related to mineral prospecting licences in Sabah.
The person had claimed to possess video recordings of alleged bribery involving senior Gabungan Rakyat Sabah leaders.
Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor had dismissed the allegations, describing them as politically motivated.
On other possible amendments, Azalina said that Section 6 would be looked into to avoid any overlap with existing legislation and to encourage whistleblowing without any possible barriers due to other laws.
Other measures would touch on having more efficient investigations, the introduction of a standard reward scale for whistleblowers and providing physical protection for whistleblowers.“Several proposals are being considered to be presented for the Cabinet’s consideration.
“Hopefully, it can then be brought to Parliament in this session, if it is agreed upon by the Cabinet,” she said.
Azalina said other proposed amendments include harmonising Sections 8 and 14 to allow enforcement agencies investigate effectively and efficiently without violating existing provisions under the Whistleblower Act.
She said there is also a proposal to form a task force in efforts to transition towards a centralised agency overseeing protection for whistleblowers.
