Amend Whistleblowers Protection Act 2010 to protect civil servants: G25

PETALING JAYA: The Whistleblowers Protection Act 2010 should be amended to protect civil servants who lodge a report against their corrupt superiors, said the G25 group of prominent Malays.
"The Whistleblowers Protection Act should not merely exist as window dressing. It is essential that government servants who make the reports against their superior officers are protected from harassment such as being charged under the Sedition Act 1948 and the Official Secrets Act 1972," the group said in a statement.
Praising the personal involvement of the new Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Datuk Dzulkifli Ahmad in recent campaigns and his brave statements, the group called on the government to allow the MACC to charge those implicated especially politicians.
"Our government must allow the MACC to charge those implicated, and the recent arrests are indicative of his (Dzulkifli) commitment to live up to his words. These developments have contributed to raise public confidence in the fight against corruption.
"The fight against corruption must also be addressed at the political level to ensure free and fair elections so that those elected to represent us in Parliament and state legislative assemblies are individuals of good character, free from unethical practices that make them hostage to corruption when they hold office and positions of power," the group said.
G25 added there should be a process in every political party to ensure that candidates standing for elections meet the criteria for honesty and integrity before submitting their names for the elections.
"This will be in line with the call from the MACC that Umno should set an example for political parties to refrain from corruption and abuse of power in the coming elections.
"Under no circumstances should politicians be spared appropriate action at this very critical junction. Otherwise it will certainly seem selective and only undermine the credibility of this commendable new surge," the group said.
The group hoped that the recommendations of the technical committee set up by the government to review the law on financing of elections, together with the proposals by them and the coalition of 70 NGOs will be enacted into legislation to lessen the pressure on business contributions and ensure fair elections.
"When politicians indulge in illegal money politics to win the elections, they tend to get sucked into a web of intrigue and deceit, from which they find it difficult to get out.
"Consequently, the country suffers from a bad reputation with regard to good governance as seen in our unfavourable ranking in the world Corruption Perception Index."