(July 27): Putrajaya’s sanctions against The Edge and Sarawak Report, which had been publishing exposes on 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), are proof that there is no adequate protection for whistle-blowers in the country, the Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4) said today.

In a statement, the anti-graft group’s executive director Cynthia Gabriel said that whistle-blower protection needed to be beefed up if the government was serious about fighting corruption.

Following recent exposes, the Home Ministry suspended The Edge Financial Daily and The Edge Weekly for three months due to their reporting which was deemed "prejudicial to public order".

Meanwhile, the Malaysia Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) last week blocked local access to Sarawak Report, citing "national stability".

These moves come amid widespread investigations by authorities against 1MDB's business dealings.

"There is indeed no protection for those who speak up against corruption. Unmasking the corrupt comes with massive reprisals in Malaysia.

"The Edge and Sarawak Report’s investigative reporting on the 1MDB scandal in the past year has challenged this notion, exposed bare the ills of the leadership and unlocked Barisan Nasional’s prized secret of cronyism and patronage politics," Cynthia said.

"Instead of countering the staggering allegations with evidence and clear answers, the administration has chosen to act with despotic fervour.

"Instead of seeking legal recourse, they have chosen to confuse the public and abuse public institutions to protect their own wrong."

She said that "shooting the messenger" would not help the administration and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to come out of the crisis unscathed.

Najib is the advisory board chairman for 1MDB, which sits on a RM42 billion debt.

He has also been accused of transferring state funds into his own personal accounts in 2013.

"In light of the series of accusations trailblazing the pathways to Najib’s office in Putrajaya, it is time for a serious paradigm shift in whistle-blower protection if we are serious about fighting corruption," Cynthia said.

She called for improvements in the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010, to remove "questionable clauses" such as Section 6(1), which states that any disclosure will not come under the law's protection if prohibited by any written law.

There are also clauses stating that questioning government policy and improper conduct can lead to revocation of protection under the act.

"Section 8 states that the whistle-blower would be criminalised if he/she were to divulge the wrongdoing to another party, after invoking the protection the act confers, such as the press or an MP," she said.

"Amend these sections to allow for better whistle-blower protection, allow freedom of the press, stop harassment of journalists, withdraw the suspension of The Edge and unblock Sarawak Report or risk the worsening global perception and flight of investors out of Malaysia." – The Malaysian Insider