KUALA LUMPUR – Former deputy law minister Ramkarpal Singh has urged the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to provide protection for a whistleblower who allegedly possesses incriminating video recordings of several state assembly persons.
In a statement today, Ramkarpal stressed that, given the seriousness of the claims, the whistleblower should receive protection under the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010.
The Bukit Gelugor MP said the MACC must prioritise preventing corruption, especially within state governance.
He argued that the graf busters have a duty to uphold the Act’s purpose by encouraging disclosures of misconduct across both public and private sectors.
“How are we going to encourage such disclosures if the fear of repercussions persists?” he questioned.
“At first glance, the videos of the purported assembly persons seem genuine and as such, the whistleblower’s complaints do not appear frivolous.
“Given the above, there appears to be no reason for the MACC to exercise its discretion in revoking the immunity of the whistleblower, which would enable an effective investigation into the matter,” he added.
The DAP lawmaker also cautioned that revoking the whistleblower’s immunity could send the wrong message about MACC’s commitment to fighting corruption.
The whistleblower reportedly claims to have notified MACC about the videos last month but withheld details of the states involved, citing fears of retaliation from the implicated politicians.
Earlier today, MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki urged the whistleblower to formally lodge a report, a step required to activate protection under the Act.
While the whistleblower’s legal counsel requested an agreement to secure his immunity, Azam clarified that immunity may be revoked if the whistleblower is found complicit in the offence.
Yesterday, MalaysiaKini reported viewing eight videos allegedly showing different assemblypersons accepting hundreds of thousands of ringgit to support a company’s bid for a project in their state. – November 10, 2024