Talk to MACC, not the media, Latheefa tells whisteblowers

Whistleblowers who reveal information to the public including the media are not helping the agency in its investigations, MACC chief commissioner Latheefa Koya said today.

She revealed that MACC had dealt with certain complainants who had sought to be under MACC's whistleblower protection programme but they instead went on to reveal information to the public.

"If the complainant is brought to us and wants to be a whistleblower and needs protection, then we will ask for commitments.

"But after having made the commitment, you go out there and probably say something else, that doesn't help," she told the media in Putrajaya.

Latheefa added that it was a form of sabotage when those complainants revealed the same information they told to the MACC without the agency even having begun its own investigations.

"We are not saying don't say but if you say too much, that will not help with the investigations," she said.

On a related matter, Latheefa said that she received about 40 complaints a day.

"I receive from 30 to 40 complaints almost everyday. On average, of the 100 complaints we get, we can filter and see and only 30 percent actually falls under the category of corruption.

"The rest should have been channeled to other agencies. We need to filter because people think the MACC can solve all their problems," she said. - Mkini