MACC offers incentives to prospective whistleblowers

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) wants more civil servants to lodge reports on corruption and bribery under its "cash incentives" programme. Its chief commissioner, Tan Sri Dzulkifli Ahmad, said the commission is also mulling creative campaigns to ensure more people will participate in the programme.
"We should not look at this (cash incentives) initiative as the only MACC programme to encourage to report to us. There's a lot of other programmes that we do in our effort to curb corruption. We just want to recognise people who are free from corruption. I don't think the move is wrong. However, we also should look at creative campaigns to encourage people to participate," Dzulkifli said during a press conference after he launched the Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) level Anti–Corruption Revolution Movement (Gerah) and the 3J (Jangan Hulur, Jangan Kawtim, Jangan Settle – Don't Offer, Don’t Collude, Don’t Settle) campaign held at Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (TBS) here yesterday.
MACC introduced the cash incentives scheme in 2011, where civil servants who report cases of corruption will receive a reward in the form of cash at a similar value of the bribe involved. The incentive would be given on the condition that the case is investigated, the accused charged, and convicted.
Only 214 people have come forward to lodge a report since the programme's inception.
Dzulkifli said whistleblowers should not be afraid to give information as they are protected under a number of laws, such as the Witness Protection Act 2009 (Act 696) and the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010.
"We will never leak the whistleblower's personal information as it is protected under the law," he said.
Separately, Dzulkifli said that a positive perception has been cultivated towards the anti–graft body by the people, after its various investigations and arrests.
"There is now a sense of fear towards MACC due to our aggressive actions lately. The public views that the level of corruption has been decreased. I have vowed that there will be at least one investigation a week, and I (have) not broken that promise," he said.
Gerah, which was launched by MACC in May of this year, is a social revolution campaign to bring about an aggressive and drastic change in Malaysian society by placing corruption as the nation’s number one enemy.
The 3J campaign, which was also launched in May, aims at delivering a message of awareness to the public that they must never get involved in corruption and abuse of power by giving or accepting bribes.