Ombudsman To Plug Whistleblower Identity Leaks Through Centralised System

KUALA LUMPUR, May 14 (Bernama) -- The proposed Malaysian Ombudsman is expected to serve as the main mechanism to strengthen whistleblower protection, including preventing leaks of complainants’ identities through a centralised complaint management system under a single agency

Principal assistant director, Policy & Research Section, Legal Affairs Division, Prime Minister's Department (BHEUU, JPM) Dr Nur Faiza Iskak said the proposal aims to strengthen the existing system, following cases in which whistleblowers faced retaliation after lodging complaints with enforcement agencies.

“There are a lot of situations where we are trying to increase public’s trust and whistleblowers are hoping to get better protection from the enforcement agencies,” she said during the roundtable discussion (RTD) with the Business Chambers of Commerce here today.

Besides Nur Faiza, the panelists included director of Public Sector Reform Division, Public Service Department Syuhaida Abdul Wahab Zen, director National Competitive Section, Malaysia Productivity Corporation Wan Fazlin Nadia Wan Osman and head of eWORKS Project Management Office, Government  Procurement Division, Ministry of Finance Ahmad Fauzi Sungip.

Nur Faiza said that under the proposed mechanism, all disclosures and complaints would be channelled directly to Ombudsman Malaysia for protection, instead of being submitted to multiple enforcement agencies as currently practised.

“What we are trying to do is after this, once the Ombudsman Malaysia kicks in, all of the disclosures will come to one wing within the Ombudsman institution,” she said. 

She said the centralisation initiative was expected to serve as a countermeasure to curb information leakages, particularly involving whistleblowers’ identities, while ensuring stronger protection could be maintained.

“So, the institution will only channel the complaint to the enforcement agencies for investigation. No disclosures of identity will be shared and this ensures strict protection on the whistleblower’s identity,” she added. 

On May 10, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said the proposed Malaysian Ombudsman is aimed at addressing public perceptions over the transparency of internal complaint processes and does not mean existing mechanisms are ineffective.

Azalina said the Public Complaints Bureau (BPA) is not ineffective but it is subject to public perceptions concerning the transparency and outcomes of complaints because it operates within the government’s administrative structure.

Meanwhile, Wan Fazlin Nadia, while touching on the Reforming Bureaucratic Red Tape (RKB), said the government is targeting to complete 500 RKB projects this year as part of efforts to accelerate public sector reforms and enhance the efficiency of service delivery to businesses and the people.

She said RKB is important in creating a conducive ecosystem for business growth by reducing bureaucratic red tape, allowing companies to focus more on innovation, business expansion and talent development.

“From the 325 projects fully completed last year, the compliance cost savings recorded amounted to around RM2 billion benefitting businesses and also the people. This is not savings on the government side but savings resulting from the reduction of processes and procedures that benefit businesses and the people,” she said. 

The RTD was organised by National Governance Planning Division (BPGN) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) as the main secretariat of the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) Special Task Force with the Malaysian Institute of Integrity and was officiated by Chief Secretary to the Government (KSN) Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar.

More than 100 representatives from business chambers representing both local and international business communities participated in the RTD, which aimed to gather views and feedback from domestic and foreign business communities while further enhancing information-sharing among the groups.

This would enable the government to formulate more inclusive policies that are capable of supporting sustainable, innovative and more competitive economic growth.

-- BERNAMA