Enforcement agencies received 1,482 complaints under Whistleblower Protection Act since 2020
KUALA LUMPUR: Various enforcement agencies received 1,482 complaints under the implementation of the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010, says Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.
According to the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform), this was the total amount of complaints received from 2020 till 2024.
'But, the government is bound not to disclose any specific information, including case examples involving whistleblowers, to ensure that the principle of protecting confidentiality can be fully maintained, as enshrined by the law.
'The government is committed to ensuring that enforcement agencies have successfully conducted investigations and taken follow-up actions based on the information provided by the whistleblowers, without having to disclose their identities or personal information,' she said in a written Parliamentary reply dated Aug 20.
Azalina was responding to Dr Abd Ghani Ahmad (PN-Jerlun) who asked about the effectiveness of the Act in protecting whistleblowers.
Azalina said all enforcement agencies conducting investigations under Act 711 must take all necessary steps to ensure confidentiality of information.
'Each investigation must be carried out according to strict procedures,' she said.
'In terms of implementation, confidentiality of whistleblowers must be carefully protected and only relevant officers can know their identities,' she added.
Amendments to the Act were passed in the Dewan Rakyat on July 23.
The new Section 11 (1)(a) introduced in the amendments that allow enforcement agencies to maintain protection for whistleblowers who were involved in misconduct or acted to avoid disciplinary action.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Express
4 minutes ago
- Daily Express
Studying proposal to raise civil servant retirement to 65
Published on: Friday, August 22, 2025 Published on: Fri, Aug 22, 2025 By: Bernama Text Size: KOTA BHARU: The Government will study a proposal to increase the mandatory retirement age for civil servants to 65 during the 13th Malaysia Plan (RMK-13) period, said Director-General of Public Service (KPPA) Tan Sri Wan Ahmad Dahlan Abdul Aziz. 'At this stage, I cannot provide any definitive outcome, as the study will only commence during the 13MP and is expected to conclude after the plan ends. Advertisement 'However, PSD (Public Service Department) will begin initial assessment earlier, including benchmarking retirement ages in other countries,' he told reporters after visiting Siti Rubiah Mohammad, the widow of the late Kamal Ariffin Mohamed, a retired officer from the Kota Bharu Municipal Council, under the Santuni Pesara outreach programme here Thursday. Wan Ahmad Dahlan noted that several countries already have higher retirement ages than Malaysia, such as Singapore at 62, and Scandinavian nations, where it can go up to 70. Malaysia, too, has certain schemes with extended retirement, including judges who retire at 66. 'This is not an unusual consideration for the government. However, such a policy shift will require a long-term approach and will not be implemented in isolation. 'PSD will engage with various stakeholders, including retirees' associations, the Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs), and youth associations, as they too will be affected by this policy,' he said. Commenting on concerns that extending the retirement age may affect productivity, Wan Ahmad Dahlan stressed the need for a thorough and evidence-based study. 'We cannot draw premature conclusions. Some countries have successfully maintained productivity despite a higher retirement age,' he added. On July 31, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, when tabling the 13MP, announced that the retirement age policy would be reviewed as part of Malaysia's transition toward becoming an ageing nation. This is outlined in 13MP's Ninth Strategic Focus Area, which emphasises social justice and equal opportunity for all Malaysians. The Prime Minister also noted that any decision must take into account various factors, including financial implications and the potential impact on employment opportunities for younger workers. In May 2025, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said had proposed that the government consider raising the mandatory retirement age from 60 to 65, saying that it is a loss to the nation if individuals are forced to retire at 60 despite still being healthy, energetic, and able to contribute meaningfully to the workforce. Currently, the mandatory retirement age for public sector employees in Malaysia is 60. This is also the minimum retirement age for private sector workers, as stipulated under the Minimum Retirement Age Act 2012. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Daily Express
35 minutes ago
- Daily Express
Charges the first under new law
Published on: Friday, August 22, 2025 Published on: Fri, Aug 22, 2025 By: Bernama Text Size: A van carrying five teenagers linked to the Zara Qairina Mahathir case at the Kota Kinabalu Court Complex. — Bernama pic Kuala Lumpur: The case involving Form One student Zara Qairina Mahathir is the first to be prosecuted under Section 507C(1) of the Penal Code (Amendment) Act 2025, which stipulates bullying as a criminal offence, says Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail. He said the amendment involving Sections 507B to 507G of the Penal Code strengthened the legal provisions against acts of bullying. Saifuddin Nasution said since the amendment to Section 507 of the Penal Code was enforced and gazetted on July 11, police had opened 11 investigation papers related to bullying. Advertisement 'These investigation papers fall under Sections 507B, 507C and so on. This shows that the strengthening of the law has enabled the police to take action. 'Now, in the case of Zara, for example, in which the accused were charged on Wednesday, it is under one of the amended sections, making this the first case we have prosecuted (since the amendment),' he said when winding up the debate on the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) for the Home Ministry in the Dewan Rakyat. He was responding to a supplementary question from Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman (Muda-Muar), who raised the issue of the police's allegedly slow response in investigating bullying cases, including a recent case in Johor. The Penal Code (Amendment) 2025 Act and the Criminal Procedure Code (Amendment) 2025 Act, aimed at addressing bullying more effectively and comprehensively, including cyberbullying, were passed in the Dewan Rakyat on Dec 10, 2024, and in the Dewan Negara on Dec 16 the same year. Earlier Wednesday, five teenage girls were charged in the Children's Court in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, with using insulting words against Zara Qairina. The charges were framed under Section 507C(1) of the Penal Code, read together with Section 34 of the Code, which carries a penalty of up to one year's imprisonment, or a fine, or both, upon conviction. In line with this legal development, Saifuddin Nasution said the Ministry wanted the police to act swiftly in investigating every reported case of bullying. At the same time, he reminded all parties not to play up sentiments or create inaccurate impressions as though there was an attempt to protect any individual or cover up matters. 'When I reviewed the chronology and sequence of the police investigation, with the large number of witness statements taken in detail, I also felt sad that, with all the police's diligence, simply because of one part where the police were said to have failed, (which was) to conduct a post-mortem. Aug 4 was the first time the police submitted the investigation papers to the AG (Attorney General), and on Aug 3, Zara's mother had lodged a police report after noticing bruises while bathing Zara's body. So at the same time, in the investigation papers submitted to the AG, we recommended that Zara's grave be exhumed,' he said. Zara Qairina died at Queen Elizabeth I Hospital on July 17, a day after being found unconscious in a drain near the hostel of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama Tun Datu Mustapha in Papar. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
New Straits Times
5 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Bumiputera empowerment agenda continues in 13MP
KUALA LUMPUR: The bumiputera socio-economic empowerment agenda as outlined in the Bumiputera Economic Transformation Plan 2035 (PuTERA 35) continues to be emphasised in the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP). Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan said this effort ensures that no one is marginalised in the 13MP implementation, and at the same time, the government will continue to eradicate poverty regardless of ethnicity. "In principle, the government has always abided by what is enshrined in the Constitution, as emphasis is given to bumiputeras and this will always be safeguarded," he said when winding up the debate on the 13MP motion in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday. Amir Hamzah, who also carries out the duties and functions of the economy minister, stressed that the issue of poverty affects all regardless of ethnicity or religion, and the government needs to address poverty eradication holistically. "The bumiputera affirmative agenda will continue to be safeguarded as enshrined in the Constitution, and poverty will be addressed in line with the implementation of needs-based policies," he added. He said the government is committed to intensifying comprehensive development based on multiple dimensions to create equitable opportunities, thus increasing social mobility and the well-being of the rakyat through the needs-based approach. "This effort will benefit all target groups in need, including bumiputera, Orang Asli, Sabahans, Sarawak bumiputera, as well as the Indian and Chinese communities," he said. – Bernama
