National Oversight and Whistleblowers Centre (NOW) director Akmal Nasir has called on the attorney-general to strengthen the MACC Act 2009 instead of the Official Secrets Act (OSA) if he is serious about safeguarding government integrity.

"If the AG is truly concerned about the integrity of the government administration, he should revive proposals to strengthen the MACC Act 2009.

"As previously stated by NOW, important aspects to upgrade the act would include making the fact that someone is living beyond their means as a basis for investigations and even proof of graft."

He was responding to AG Apandi Ali's statement that amendments to the OSA were needed to preserve the integrity of government institutions by plugging information leaks.

The AG has said he had no qualms in going after those who leaked information considered to be government secrets and this included journalists who published them.

Apandi's proposal to increase punishments for OSA offences to include life imprisonment and ten strokes of the rotan was met with brickbats from civil society but was defended by cabinet ministers and pro-government groups.

Akmal argued that amendments to strengthen the MACC Act with regards to those living beyond the means should include:

Anyone one who seem to be living beyond their means, especially those in public service or holding public office like politicians, ministers, government officers and senior company officials can be investigated.

It should be incumbent on individuals who are living beyond their means to provide proof of income, and to show that their wealth was amassed via legal means.

If a person living beyond their means cannot account for their assets or wealth, then that should be sufficient proof of possible graft and abuses.

Mandatory asset declaration should be implemented to ensure that the assets (of public officials) conform with their income, thus graft and abuses can be rooted out at the onset.

The MACC had previously called for amendments to its governing Act but there has been no response form the government.

As one of the parties exposing various government scandals. NOW is squarely in the crosshairs of the authorities if there is a crackdown on those who expose secrets, as well as those who report them and refuse to divulge the identity of their sources.