KUALA LUMPUR (July 22): At the Parliament debate session on Tuesday, members of Parliament (MPs) across the political divide called for greater independence in the establishment of the Whistleblower Protection Committee and broader avenues for whistleblowing beyond enforcement agencies such as the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) or the police.
The Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday passed the Whistleblower Protection (Amendment) Bill 2025, aimed at strengthening protections for individuals who report misconduct and corruption, while expanding the definition of what constitutes protected disclosures.
The bill was approved via a majority voice vote after being debated by 24 MPs.
Nonetheless, opposition backbencher Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal (PN-Machang) criticised the lack of alternative reporting channels for whistleblowers — especially when enforcement agencies themselves may be implicated in misconduct.
“There must be provisions for safe and independent channels, including the media, NGOs, or members of Parliament, if whistleblowers don’t trust enforcement bodies,” he said, calling for a more independent commission to be established.
His view was echoed by government backbencher Wong Chen (PH-Subang), who pointed out that many corruption cases involve enforcement personnel themselves. If no action is taken, whistleblowers should be able to go to the media or other trusted parties, he argued.
In response, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) M Kulasegaran clarified that while the government does not currently intend to extend protection to individuals making disclosures to the public or media, it is studying the possibility of broadening protection channels beyond enforcement agencies.
Wong also raised concerns about the lack of clarity on the qualifications of those appointed to the Whistleblower Protection Committee, a sentiment shared by Datuk Azman Nasrudin (PN-Kulim Bandar Baharu), who called for internal checks and balances within the committee.
A key amendment to the bill is the establishment of the Whistleblower Protection Committee, whose members — including its chair — will be appointed by the law minister.
The committee’s role, however, is limited to collating statistics and data related to disclosures received by enforcement agencies, and monitoring the effectiveness of the act's implementation. Enforcement agencies still retain the authority to determine whether an individual qualifies for whistleblower protection under the act.
Kulasegaran added that the committee will only "act as a stopgap measure", pending the formation of a centralised agency by year-end that will eventually assume the broader responsibility of receiving complaints and overseeing protection of whistleblowers.
Another amendment in the bill is the removal of the proviso under Section 6(1) of the current act. The change means that individuals may now qualify for whistleblower protection even if the disclosed information falls under the Official Secrets Act or other laws, provided it involves misconduct or offences.
The bill also amends Section 7(3) to explicitly include physical protection for whistleblowers under the Witness Protection Programme, as provided by the Witness Protection Act 2009 (Act 696), subject to specific conditions.
“Although current laws allow for protection under other legal provisions, this amendment clarifies and explicitly acknowledges physical protection as a right for whistleblowers,” Azalina said during the tabling of the bill for its second reading.
Another amendment — made during the committee stage — involved Clause 6 of the bill, which empowers enforcement agencies to exercise their discretion in ensuring ongoing protection for whistleblowers when circumstances warrant it.
Summarising the bill, Azalina said the amendments are intended to "enable whistleblowers to come forward without fear".
She highlighted that between 2011 and 2023, a total of 74,614 complaints of misconduct were received and investigated, with 1,139 individuals granted whistleblower protection.
Read also:
Amendments to Whistleblower Protection Bill 2025 tabled for first reading in Dewan Rakyat
Govt mulls amending legislation to better reward, protect whistleblowers
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