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PUTRAJAYA: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) protected a total of 290 individuals under the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010 for providing information related to corrupt activities and abuse of power since 2016.
MACC Chief Commissioner Azam Baki said the safety of whistleblowers is guaranteed by law.
“The MACC needs information from the public so that we can gather more information and fulfill our responsibilities more effectively,” he said in an interview with Bernama.
In carrying out its duties, he said, the MACC often faced problems obtaining information because many people still fear reporting the corrupt activities that occur around them.
“Among the factors that make it difficult for some people to share information with their agencies is the fear of being fired or that doing so will affect their business.
“We realize that it is very difficult to get people to come to us to file complaints,” he added.
He said the MACC enforces the provisions of the Whistleblower Protection Act of 2010 to protect individuals who provide information against all threats, including the risk of being fired from their job.
“Many cases the commission is handling are based on information provided by whistleblowers and are protected by law, including from legal action by their employers,” he said.
In another development, Azam said that MACC’s goal is to build a Malaysian society with zero tolerance for corruption and for the commission to be the best corruption enforcement agency in the world.
To fulfill these aspirations, several strategies must be formulated and the participation of all sectors, including the various departments and agencies, would be needed, he added.
