De facto
 
 law minister Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz has admitted an error in claiming the existence of a 'Witness Protection Bill', but has blamed his press secretary for failing to issue a clarification to the media.


 <img align="right" alt="" border="0" height="146" hspace="7" src="http://mk-cdn.mkini.net/97/cff844f67e9293c57e889e5ed0efa111.gif" style="WIDTH: 219px; HEIGHT: 146px" width="219"/>
 On Sunday, Nazri told reporters that the whistleblowers in the scandalous
 
 <a href="/news/72772" target="_blank">
 'Lingam tape'
 </a>
 
 could be protected under the Witness Protection Bill tabled recently in Parliament.


 He said the bill provides protection for witnesses so that their identity could be kept a secret, while administrative and other operational means can be used to effect changes in their personal details.


 However, various parties
 
 <a href="/news/73355" target="_blank">
 disputed
 </a>
 
 his claim, saying that no such legislation has been tabled for first reading in the Lower House.


 According to
 
 The Sun
 
 today, Nazri said he had informed his press secretary to issue a clarification on Sunday, but that it was not done.


 
 Star
 
 quoted the minister as saying that he would push for the Witness Protection Bill to be tabled in Parliament as soon as possible and for it to be made retrospective.


 Nazri also clarified that the bill is still in the process of being drafted.


 "What I meant was that there are already other mechanisms in place which provide for police protection," he was quoted as saying.


 
 
 Some form of witness protection
 
 


 He was referring to legislation that offers some form of protection to witnesses, like the Anti-Corruption Act, Criminal Procedure Code, Evidence of Child Witness Act and Anti-Trafficking In Persons Act.


 While there is some of protection in existing laws for witnesses in court, there is however no protection for whistleblowers, or informants, who may not necessary be testifying in court.


 <img align="left" alt="" border="0" height="146" hspace="7" src="http://mk-cdn.mkini.net/97/22cb184d6ac929d84a4700f24534b357.gif" style="WIDTH: 219px; HEIGHT: 146px" width="219"/>
 The issue of protection for whistleblowers was raised soon after PKR released a video tape that shows senior lawyer VK Lingam (
 
 photo
 
 ) apparently brokering the appointment of 'friendly' judges with Chief Justice Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim in 2002.


 An independent three-member panel led by former Chief Judge of Malaya Haidar Mohd Noor is currently investigating the authenticity of the tape.


 The Anti-Corruption Agency has separately questioned
 
 de facto
 
 PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim, vice-president R Sivarasa and party worker Sim Tze Tzin, who have all withheld the identity of the two whistleblowers.


 As a result, Sivarasa and Sim have each been slapped with a
 
 <a href="/news/73229" target="_blank">
 notice
 </a>
 
 to reveal their sources, failing which they may be prosecuted and are liable to a jail sentence on conviction.


 The deadline to reveal their sources to the ACA expires on Thursday.


 
 <a href="/" target="_blank">
 SPECIAL REPORT: The Lingam tape
 </a>

<img align="right" alt="" border="0" height="64" hspace="0" src="http://mk-cdn.mkini.net/5/266f111bf0a69a1acb95dc063e0420d1.jpg" style="WIDTH: 64px; HEIGHT: 64px" width="64">
 The Lingam tape
 </img>
 

The

 de facto

law minister 
agrees that there is no 'witness protection bill', but points the finger at his 
press secretary.

Nazri admits error, blames press officer

~RM12

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