KUALA LUMPUR: The Whistleblower Protection (Amendment) Bill 2025, aimed at strengthening safeguards for whistleblowers and enhancing public confidence in reporting misconduct, has been passed by the Dewan Rakyat.
The bill was debated by 24 lawmakers.
Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) M. Kulasegaran, in his winding-up speech, said the primary objective of the act remains unchanged, to provide protection to whistleblowers who disclose information related to misconduct and unlawful actions.
He said that, at present, there are no proposed amendments to extend protection to whistleblowers who make disclosures openly to the public or through the media.
"However, the government is currently reviewing proposals to expand reporting channels, including the possibility of allowing disclosures to parties other than enforcement agencies, with the aim of encouraging more whistleblowers to come forward without fear," he said.
He added, however, that the government believes the identity of a whistleblower can best be protected if disclosures are made solely to enforcement agencies.
"This is crucial not only to protect the whistleblower's identity but also to prevent the disclosed information from being widely disseminated.
"If the disclosure is made to the media, it becomes difficult to provide protection, and information related to the whistleblower's identity and the content of the disclosure may be widely spread." - NST
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