100 blow the whistle on corrupt colleagues

[Pang De]

Tuesday January 11, 2011

100 blow the whistle on corrupt colleagues

By ISABELLE LAI
[email protected]

PETALING JAYA: Encouraged by the Government’s guarantee of anonymity, some 100 people have taken the bold step of telling on corrupt practices – mostly by their own friends and colleagues – since the Whistleblowers Act came into effect on Dec 15.

Some 95% of the cases were forwarded to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission while the remaining 5% were reported to the Road Transport Department and the Immigration Department, said Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Liew Vui Keong.

In the past, protection was only given to informers in criminal cases. Now, everyone is protected, says Liew.

However, whistleblowers will not get any protection if they disclosed information to more than one channel, including speaking to media or friends, said MACC investigation director Mustafar Ali.

 

[Pang De]

Tuesday January 11, 2011

Informers have faith in Whistleblower Protection Act

By ISABELLE LAI
[email protected]

PETALING JAYA: About 100 people have come forward to volunteer information since the Whistleblower Protection Act took effect on Dec 15 – and nearly all of them exposed the wrongdoings of friends and colleagues.

To date, 95% of whistleblowers exposed the “sins” of their workmates and people whom they know, said Datuk Liew Vui Keong.

The Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department said: “Our records show that the whistleblowers know the individuals against whom they were lodging reports.”

He said this showed that the whistleblowers trusted that the Whistleblower Protection Act would protect them sufficiently.

“This means that because of the Act, the people need not fear reprisals from the individuals they were exposing, should their identities be compromised,” he said in an interview.

Some 95% of the cases were forwarded to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission while the remaining 5% were reported to the Road Transport Department and the Immigration Department.

Liew said the Act was significant as it provided whistleblowers protection when exposing cases of corruption or misconduct. “In the past, protection was only given to informers in criminal cases. Now, everyone is protected,” he said.

Liew explained that the Act incorporated a “No Wrong Door” policy, enabling whistleblowers to lodge reports with any enforcement agency. “Even if their information is not related to a particular enforcement agency, the agency should accept the report and forward the case to the relevant agency,” he said.

The Act forbids the whistleblower from disclosing confidential information to a third party once the report is lodged. Liew said the enforcement agency would have the right to revoke protection if it discovered that the whistleblower’s identity was compromised through no fault of its own.

The Act states that anyone who has evidence of someone who has committed a corrupt practice, act or fraudulent activity can file a complaint against that individual and refer the case to court.

The whistleblower would be provided immunity from civil or criminal charges.
If convicted, the individuals exposed by the whistleblowers could be fined up to RM50,000 or jailed not more than 10 years, or both.

Liew said that his records from Dec 15 until Dec 31, 2010, showed that 97 whistleblowers had lodged reports with the various enforcement agencies around the country.

“Protection will be extended to family members and associates of the whistleblower as well if they are aware of the information,” he said.

A reward system is being formulated by the Finance Ministry to reward informants.