The government has no plans to enact a whistle-blower protection act despite advocacy groups calling for one in order to enhance the integrity of the administration.

According to Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz, existing laws were sufficient.

Nazri, who is also the de facto law minister, said the Anti-Corruption Act and Money Laundering Act have provided adequate safeguards for whistle-blowers.

However, the minister told the Dewan Rakyat today that a witness protection act was being formulated.

"We are enacting an act to protect witnesses who give information in a criminal case investigation," he said.

Nazri was responding to a question by Parliamentary Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timor) on the progress of the whistle-blower protection act.

'All cover-up agency'

In a supplementary question, Lim said he was "surprised" with the minister's reply.

"The Prime Minister (Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) has been saying he wants to hear the truth and a whistle-blowers protection act is the way for him to hear the truth.

"Do you know the ACA (Anti-Corruption Agency) is no longer the ACA, it is now known as the 'all cover-up agency'," he added.

Responding, Nazri said: "Like I said, we are looking into enacting an act to protect the witnesses and whistle-blowers usually will be called as witnesses to testify."

In another supplementary question, M Kula Segaran (DAP-Ipoh Barat) said the whistle-blowers protection act is necessary as it will extend protection to witnesses who give statements in any inquiry.

He cited the example of the Public Accounts Committee's (PAC) inquiry into the ECM Libra-Avenue merger which was derailed after ex-premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad's aide Matthias Chang claimed it was subjudice to a suit filed by the latter.

The parliamentary committee had called the finance ministry officials to testify at the inquiry but it was put off after the ministry's legal adviser agreed with Chang that should the inquiry proceed, it will amount to subjudice.

Replying, Nazri said there were no other occasions where witnesses called to appear before the PAC did not turn up, except for the ECM Libra-Avenue merger inquiry since the matter was pending in court.