Amendments to the Whistleblower Protection Act will be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat next year to clearly distinguish genuine whistleblowers from criminals seeking to exploit legal loopholes, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said.
Speaking in the Dewan Negara during a question-and-answer session, Anwar said the proposed changes aim to prevent corrupt individuals or criminals from evading legal action by claiming protection under the whistleblower law.
“Protection should not be granted indiscriminately to the point where criminals or corrupt individuals are portrayed as ‘heroes’ merely because they make disclosures after committing serious offences,” he said.
Anwar explained that the amendments would introduce clearer mechanisms to differentiate between bona fide whistleblowers and individuals such as robbers, corrupt figures or criminals attempting to hide behind the law.
“These are two entirely different matters that must be clearly separated,” he added.
He said a minister has been assigned to oversee the proposed amendments, with the bill expected to be tabled early next year once the drafting process is completed.
Anwar was responding to a question from Senator Amir Md Ghazali on measures taken by the government to strengthen integrity and transparency within law enforcement agencies and to curb abuse of power and leakages, including within the police force.
While reaffirming the government’s support for whistleblowers, Anwar stressed that the law must also ensure it is not misused to shield wrongdoing.
