Whistleblowers who go to the media first will not receive protection as it could supersede the investigative process and such reports may be taken as the full truth, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The Prime Minister said that it is also stated in the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010 (Act 711) that whistleblowers should first lodge a report with the enforcement authorities.
He said this after the launch of the Implementation of Auditing of Government-linked Companies at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre here Thursday (Feb 6).
“Whistleblowers should not go to the media first. There is a rational reason for that as everyone will then believe the report at face value.
“You then condemn the person (exposed) before he is even investigated or even before he is given the authority to explain.
“We are looking at that. Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman has the draft,” said Anwar.
On Wednesday (Feb 5), Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Azalina told the Dewan Rakyat that going to an enforcement agency must be the first step for whistleblowers.
She explained that this is to enable the enforcement agency to determine if the information given is essential and whether it should be classified under an older case or whether a new case should be opened.
“When we go to an enforcement agency as a whistleblower wanting protection, the enforcement agency will provide the justification (for the protection).
“This means, they (the whistleblower) cannot go to the public domain and then afterwards want protection,” she said.
However, human rights activist Kua Kia Soong had stated that many whistleblowers exposed major wrongdoings by going to the media after efforts to go through government channels were futile. – The Star