KOTA KINABALU – A coalition of 23 public whistle-blower entities have issued a joint statement, appealing to the unity government for the immediate implementation of legal protection for whistle-blowers in Malaysia.
The groups said the protection would pave the way for a more transparent and accountable system, while eliminating the failures of the country’s past administrations.
“Decades of silenced pleas, reports, scandals…we public service whistle-blowers have waited on similar, yet discarded promises.
“No more excuses; the lights must be turned on in every corner of Malaysia.
“Today’s unity cabinet can and must reset Malaysians’ shared destiny by immediate legal protection of our country’s heroes: its whistle-blowers,” they said in a statement here today.
The group comprises Kasthuri Patto, G25 Parents Action Group for Education, Aliran, Pertubuhan Pembangunan Kendiri Wanita dan Gadis, Society for Equality, Respect And Trust for All Sabah, Klima Action Malaysia, Persatuan Pengundi Muda, Undi Sabah, KauOKTak, HIVE Educators, PACOS Trust, Justice for Sisters, Save The Schools MY, Freedom Film Network, Agora Society Malaysia, Saiful Nizam, Suara Rakyat Malaysia, The Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism, Engage Network, Rangkaian Solidariti Demokratik Pesakit Mental, Monsters Among Us, and The Tiada.Guru Campaign.
Their statement came in view of a petition made by a former SMK Taun Gusi, Kota Belud student, Safiah Omar, demanding the government to provide whistle-blower protection to her teacher, Nurhaizah Ejab.
Nurhaizah allegedly claimed she was threatened and intimidated after reporting on her colleague’s absence in school.
According to them, the pleas of whistle-blowers and exposure in reports and scandals have long been ignored.
The present government can take decisive action in ensuring that these failures will be addressed and remedied with legal protection.
“Whistle-blowers paid the price when the cabinets of 2013 (Datuk Seri Najib Razak), 2018 (Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad), 2020 (Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin), and 2021 (Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob) irresponsibly ignored the public service’s pleas.
“Instead, they left our future generations with trillion-ringgit blindspots, high-risk corruptible public institutions, and a poor quality of life – destined to stagnate – for ordinary Malaysians,” they said.
They also said whistle-blowers could help address systemic failures when elected representatives are not on the ground.
“The lack of whistle-blower protection in Malaysia is deemed scandalous, with politicians and senior public officers refusing to provide independent legal safeguards.
“This status quo brought disgrace upon Malaysia, and caused immense public humiliation, with a few individuals benefiting at the expense of Malaysians' progress,” they said.
They added that the numbers of whistle-blowers in the country are declining due to being subject to attacks in their respective line of work.
They also urged the government to establish a public ombudsman to investigate severe misconduct of civil servants and offer a one-stop resource for whistle-blowers to obtain protection, investigation and disciplinary and legal actions.
The suggestion came as most whistle-blowers cannot trust the executive branch of government to offer serious, expedient, and fair whistle-blower protection, they said.
“The most serious cases must have independent investigations, and only a public ombudsman can provide that guarantee.” – The Vibes, July 21, 2023
