PUTRAJAYA: Those under witness protection as whistleblowers should not be kept as witnesses for a protracted period, says Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said (pic).
The Minister in charge of Law and Institutional Reform said that this was one of the areas being looked at following a Bill to be tabled in Parliament this coming June to amend the Whistleblower Protection Act.
"Among the Bills to be tabled are those involving legal aid and witness protection.
"One of the most pressing issues is that those under witness protection under the Act cannot be kept over a prolonged period.
"The cases which they are involved with must be disposed of as soon as possible," she told reporters during the Hari Raya Open House celebration here on Monday. (April 21).
Currently, Azalina said cases involving witnesses under protection as whistleblowers should be disposed of as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, Azalina said that out of more than 3,000 outdated laws initially identified, only 164 are still undergoing technical revision by the Attorney General’s Chambers.
She noted that some of the archaic laws were enacted before Independence, with others dating back even further.
"But what is ongoing in terms of reforms involves those related to criminal and contract laws," she said.
She cited the current use of digital signatures law as an example where the law of contracts needs to be kept up to date.
"Some of the contractual laws that we have are unable to cover this aspect comprehensively.
We are in the process of reviewing this," she added.
Meanwhile, Azalina said other Bills to be tabled in Parliament this coming June include the Legal Aid and Public Defence Bill and the Mediation (Amendment) Bill.
When asked about the status of the proposed laws on political funding and establishing a two-term limit for the position of prime minister, Azalina stated that they were still under review.
