Existing laws constantly reviewed for improvements

KUALA LUMPUR: The government always conducts reviews of existing laws, including the Official Secrets Act 1972 (OSA) and the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010 for improvement, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan.

He said the views of the civil society were always taken into account in the process.

”I feel the government has no problem, especially if the views given by the civil society are for us to improve the existing laws," he told the Dewan Rakyat today.

He was responding to a supplementary question from R. Sivarasa (PH-Sungai Buloh) on whether the government intends to amend or repeal the OSA and implement the Freedom of Information Act, especially to protect whistleblowers.

Takiyuddin said whistleblowers who acted in good faith were protected under the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010 which came into effect on Dec 15, 2010.

He said they were protected, in terms of their confidential information such as identity, address and employment; immunity from civil and criminal action, as well as harmful action, either against themselves (whistleblowers) and any person with whom they have relations with or are related to.

Takiyuddin said the objective of the act was to fight corruption and other misconduct in the public and private sectors by encouraging and facilitating the public to expose the act.

The protection provided for the whistleblowers is through enforcement agencies including the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC); Immigration Department; Royal Malaysian Police, Companies Commission of Malaysia and the Securities Commission of Malaysia.

-- BERNAMA