MACC to charge senior official over sacking of whistleblower

The MACC has obtained approval from the Attorney General's Chambers to charge a senior official of a company at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court today.

"The accused will face charges under Section 10 (3) (b) of the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010 (Act 711) for causing a company employee to be sacked after the latter provided information to the MACC regarding misconduct by the accused," the statement said.

This is the first time a charge has been made under the section since the law came into force in 2010.

"The MACC is very concerned with the problems that informants have to face if they are subjected to detrimental action over the exposure of corrupt acts committed by certain parties," the statement said.

"MACC hopes that the charge made with regard to this case can give a signal to the community not to be worried about cooperating with law enforcement agencies to channel information related to corruption and abuse of power," the statement said.

Meanwhile, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Datuk Seri Azam Baki said the Whistleblower Protection Act provides immunity to whistleblowers from any civil, criminal or disciplinary action, including being laid off for reporting an act of corruption or abuse of power says.

He said many of the cases uncovered by the MACC had been the result of information received from whistleblowers.

"They (whistleblowers) cooperate with the MACC, and employers cannot take action against the informant in the event their department head commits an offence," he told Bernama at his office yesterday.

He was commenting on a senior official at a company who is said to have fired his staff for reporting his alleged act of corruption to the MACC.

Azam said since 2010, the MACC had given protection to 290 informants who have helped the agency with its investigations.

-- BERNAMA