PETALING JAYA: Anti-corruption experts highlight that, despite lucrative cash rewards, fear of identity exposure and intimidation prevent the public from coming forward to lodge reports against corruption.
Transparency International Malaysia president Dr Muhammad Mohan praised efforts to encourage more reporting of graft but emphasised the need to safeguard whistleblowers from abuse and intimidation.
He pointed out that there could be cases where whistleblowers might not receive rewards if they fail to meet additional conditions attached to the reward.
“The downside is that many whistleblowers may come forward based solely on hearsay.
“This is the reason why the terms and conditions must be clear to qualify for the reward.”
He also underlined the need for stronger whistleblower laws to ensure that individuals reporting corruption are not stripped of their protections due to non-disclosure agreements or the Official Secrets Act.
“A whistleblower will be given protection, but if he or she violates other laws, then the protection will be withdrawn. This is what makes civil servants hesitant to report cases, fearing accusations of leaking government secrets and losing their protection.
“There is an urgent need for amendments to the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010 (WPA) to make it supersede other laws,” Muhammad said.
He suggested that only a percentage of the money embezzled or stolen should be given to the whistleblower.
“Probably not more than 20% upon charging the person, and anything more will be subject to the recovery of the stolen money and the terms of reference. If we apply the 1:1 model, like in the public sector, it may not be sustainable for the government,” he said.
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In May, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki was reported as saying that the nation lost at least RM277bil due to corruption between 2013 and 2018.
During a recent radio talk show, Azam proposed expanding the current reward system to include members of the public, stating that between 2011 and 2023, a total of 514 civil servants received around RM1mil through the reporting reward system.
Azam said this was among the proposals under the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS) 2024-2025.
Under the reward system, whistleblowers and civil servants who report corrupt practices resulting in convictions can receive incentives ranging from a minimum of RM500 up to RM1mil, or a reward deemed appropriate.
Pushpan Murugiah, CEO of the Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4), mentioned that reluctance to come forward persists due to fear rather than the absence of rewards or incentives.
“Whistleblowers in Malaysia face innumerable challenges such as threats to their safety, their family’s safety, and their livelihoods, among others.
“These dangers often far outweigh any sum of money that they could be rewarded with for reporting corruption,” he added.
Pushpan said that the focus should be on reforming existing whistleblower laws, which have been in use for more than a decade despite their shortcomings.
“Effective progress in promoting corruption reporting requires addressing the systemic failures in Malaysia’s whistleblower protection laws, which, even after more than a decade, still fail to adequately safeguard whistleblowers,” he said.
Abdul Rahman Mohd Nordin, secretary-general of the Congress of Union of Employees in the Public and Civil Service Malaysia (Cuepacs), praised the proposal to extend the reward system to encompass the general public, not just civil servants.
“It is a good move, as it will encourage a larger section of society to come forward to make reports.
“However, there must be reforms to better protect whistleblowers.
“Although whistleblowers are protected, many are still afraid to come forward to report for fear that their identities will be leaked,” he said.
“The WPA must be reviewed so that more people will have confidence in coming forward to report corruption,” he added.
