KUALA LUMPUR, July 22 — Witness Protection Programme participants who refuse to relocate to safer accommodation or become involved in criminal activities such as drug abuse may have their protection terminated under proposed amendments to the Witness Protection Act 2009 (Act 696).

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) M. Kulasegaran said the proposed amendment to Section 16(1)(ca) would make the deliberate breach of an agreement’s terms an additional ground for the Director-General of the Witness Protection Division of the Prime Minister’s Department (BPJPM) to recommend terminating a participant’s protection.

“If this happens, the procedure for terminating a participant from the programme must comply with Section 16 of Act 696, including giving the participant an opportunity to be heard before a decision on the termination is made,” he said.

He said this when winding up the debate on the Witness Protection (Amendment) Bill 2026 in the Dewan Negara today.

The existing Witness Protection Act 2009 (Act 696) allows the Director-General of BPJPM to recommend terminating protection, including where a participant provides false or misleading information or where protection is no longer required.

On psychological assistance, Kulasegaran said the amendments also propose professional support focusing on participants’ mental health and emotional well-being, including the management of trauma, anxiety, stress and fear.

The support will be provided by qualified psychologists and is not intended to coach or instruct participants on how to answer questions while giving evidence in court, he said.

He said the BPJPM currently does not have in-house psychologists, with counselling support being provided through psychologists from the Attorney General’s Chambers and the Prime Minister’s Department.

According to him, the division is restructuring to create permanent in-house psychologist posts to enable direct, structured and comprehensive mental health support.

The Dewan Rakyat passed the six-clause Bill on July 14 to strengthen the safety, welfare and physical protection of witnesses providing crucial testimony in serious criminal, corruption and high-profile cases, while improving the management of the Witness Protection Programme.

The Dewan Negara sitting resumes tomorrow. — Bernama