KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 8 — Minister Datuk Paul Low has called for the protection of whistleblowers exposing corruption and fraud from documents protected by the Official Secrets Act (OSA) 1972.
According to the minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, a review of the OSA was necessary, but should be to promote transparency and for the government to be more open by sharing certain information with the public.
“If [the OSA document] relates to abuse, if there is corruption or fraud. for example, there should be exemptions that they can whistleblow without being prosecuted.
“Who would want to whistleblow without protection?” he asked in a Malaysiakini report today.
The same report said that while Low agreed that sensitive information pertaining to national security, open investigations and data need to be protected, he argued that information such as toll concessions agreements with highway operators should be shared with the public.
“Transparency promotes accountability and good decision-making,” he added.
“You can’t just take a couple of areas [under the OSA] and decide everything should be secret and that everyone should go to jail.”
Low was responding in regards to Attorney-General (AG) Tan Sri Mohd Apandi Ali’s proposal to amend OSA to increase penalties against those who leaked official secrets.
On Saturday, Apandi was reported saying that he will consider seeking an increase to the penalties available, including raising the sentences to life imprisonment and 10 strokes of the cane.
In a report by a Chinese daily, Apandi said the proposed amendments to the OSA will also include journalists who refuse to identify the sources of the leaked information.
The AG also said that there is no right to information according to the Federal Constitution.
