Amendments will be made to the Whistleblowrers Protection Act 2010 (WPA) to ensure complete confidentiality of those providing information against corruption after weaknesses in existing laws resulted in an extremely low number of whistleblowers being given protection.

Since 2011, 73,554 informers have come forward to provide information but only 527 persons were afforded protection under the Act.

In welcoming the government’s announcement, anti-corruption advocates say certain provisions in Malaysian law must be urgently revised or abolished to provide better protection for whistleblowers.

They said that among the provisions under the law that need to be looked at are Section 4, Section 6(1), Section 8(1) and (4), as well as Section 11 of the WPA, and also Section 203A of the Penal Code.

Graft busters are hoping that the planned amendments to the WPA will encourage more people to come forward to report cases of corruption and power abuse, knowing that they will be better protected.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and police, considered ‘heavy users’ of the Act also fully support the proposed amendments.

-THE MALAYSIA VOICE