More safeguards needed for whistleblowers, says expert

Malaysian Institute of Integrity (IIM) president and chief executive officer Ahmad Ramdzan Daud said more legal safeguards are needed to protect whistleblowers who dare expose wrongdoings.

Ramdzan explained that the current legal framework is too rigid to effectively protect informants and urged for a thorough review of the internal system, especially related to supervisory roles and structural vulnerabilities.

"Who would willingly come forward with information about a syndicate if their own life is at serious risk?"

“Of course, they (criminals) will always find opportunities or loopholes to infiltrate but that is exactly why we need to talk about the need for a proper supervisory system,” New Straits Times reported him as saying.

Last week, the Dewan Rakyat passed amendments to the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010, which may allow whistleblowers to report wrongdoings via platforms other than enforcement agencies.

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reforms) M Kulasegaran, in his winding-up speech, also said concerns persist over how disclosures made to the media could put whistleblowers in harm's way.

Provisions under the law came under scrutiny following media reports on the Sabah corruption scandal, based on initial exposés by businessperson Albert Tei, who requested whistleblower protection.

Tei’s lawyer, Mahajoth Singh, previously said his client only decided to go public, revealing video recordings and documents implicating several Sabah assemblypersons to Malaysiakini, after being dismissed by MACC and receiving death threats.

On July 30, Tei pleaded not guilty to corruption charges at the Kota Kinabalu Sessions Court. Also claiming trial were state assemblypersons Andi Suryady Bandy (Tanjung Batu) and Yusof Yacob (Sindumin), who were charged with receiving bribes.

Emphasise integrity

Meanwhile, Ramdzan also suggested that in certain cases, whistleblowers should be formally compensated through financial means. However, he cautioned that it should not be driven by personal gain.

He explained that it should not be seen as a “one-size-fits-all” approach, adding that integrity must always remain at the core of their approach.

"If we manage to prevent the leakage of RM1 million in subsidised goods, is it unreasonable to suggest that 10 or 15 percent go to the informant?

"If every case involving money turns into a reward opportunity, we risk losing control… if someone comes forward out of revenge, such as failing to secure a contract, they are an offender too. Integrity must exist even in the whistleblower," he said.

Ramdzan also emphasised that whistleblowers are not created overnight, and often risk not only themselves, but the safety of their families when coming forward.

"A person working inside a syndicate, for example, has likely been involved in its activities for some time. It's not as simple as someone working today and turning into a whistleblower tomorrow. They've likely thought long and hard about the risks involved.

"If they're willing to come forward, then we have to ask: what can we offer them? And more importantly, is that offer worth the risk in their eyes?

“They know the moment they speak out, their identity is essentially exposed. They become a target. And that's where we step in - to offer protection and support."

The Whistleblower Protection (Amendment) Bill 2025 seeks to, among others, establish a Whistleblower Protection Committee whose chairperson and members will be appointed by the government.

The bill stipulates that the committee will manage the execution of general powers held by enforcement agencies which supervise all matters relating to whistleblower protection.

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