If we whistle silently, M’sia will go to the dogs
Whistle quietly if you want protection, says IGP
Anonymous #45527285: Inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar, I think you are missing the point.
Granted, a person cannot seek protection from the authorities if one exposes a wrongdoing to the public or media under the Whistleblowers Protection Act.
However, in the 1MDB case, the person(s) exposing the wrongdoing are not seeking protection from the authorities.
They are questioning why the authorities are bent on pursuing, harassing, and intimidating them for the exposure.
If the authorities are not willing to give them the protection, fine, but why are they being treated as criminals and investigated upon?
That is the rationale that the people are questioning. You need not protect them, and at the same time do not vilify them. Just investigate the wrongdoings.
Apa Nama: Perhaps we need to change the name of the law from “Whistleblower Protection Act 2010” to “Whistleblower Persecution Act 2015”.
Why there is a need to include a condition(s) in order to get protection? Let say this 1MDB scandal exposures were done silently in order to get protection. Are the witnesses able to get protection and at the same time the real culprits hauled up?
If this scandal was not blown up in media, it will meet a silent dead. The end result will be the country may go to bankrupt in the similar way as Greece and we, Malaysians then will be caught by surprise.
In Malaysia, if you blow the whistle silently, our country will go to the dogs. In fact there is no such thing as a silent whistle. Whistle will make noise when you blow it.
Aries46: Khalid sadly lacks the persona that would invite trust from whistleblowers. In fact I wonder if even innocent school kids would open up to him with his appearance of high handedness and officialdom written all over him.
And unless Khalid can show that he works for the people and they are his priority, no sane person will go to him with information of thieving at the highest echelon of government. That would amount to laying oneself on the line.
Nil: A whistle is what it is – to be blown, loud and clear, so that people can be warned of imminent danger. A silent whistle, on the other hand, is used for controlling dogs.
Odin Tajué: Yes, there are ultrasound whistles. Some keepers and trainers of dogs use these. When you blow them, only dogs can hear. What Khalid meant is that whistleblowers need to use this kind of whistle to get his attention.
The whistling sound made by humans is too loud for him; and if he doesn’t take the appropriate action, everyone would know.
Whereas, if you use the silent whistle, no one would know if he took no action. I say, man, this fellow thinks we are all idiots.
FellowMalaysian: The IGP denounced whistleblowers who choose to go to the media before lodging their complaint to the authority.
Perhaps he should ask himself what led whistleblowers to resort to the press in mega corruption cases?
There is a dearth lack of confidence in our security and enforcement agencies and institutions and this is aptly demonstrated through the MACC (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission) and police’s handling of Teoh Beng Hock and the late Ambank founder Hussain Najadi’s cases.
If the very essence of trust and confidence is lacking, the authority’s credibility and integrity becomes questionable. A right-minded whistleblower will be compelled then to highlight his case to the press.
The enforcement institutions have themselves created a paradox and the only way public trust can be restored is by making themselves more trustworthy in their handling of corruption cases.
Fairplayer: Indeed, the reason the whistleblowers turn to the media is to get attention and protection from the rakyat and international human rights groups, because the Malaysian law enforcers are sub-standard (if not corrupted) and cannot be trusted, my dear IGP.
Real Truth: You, IGP, cannot formulate your own law. You are a public servant and you should only investigate when there is a complaint.
Why can’t anyone go to the press if we are not satisfied with your work? Instead of finding out whether there is any truth in the expose, you as an Umno stooge go after the messenger.
Please investigate the RM2.6 billion allegedly banked into PM Najib Razak’s accounts. Your reputation is already in tatters.
Sabahan: Yes, very funny, IGP. Almost all whistleblowers have evidence of government corruption. If they keep quiet and go through proper channels, they will not be heard of and seen again.
Restless: I can’t believe my ears where this is coming from. It really reveals his level of mentality and intelligence. The chair he is sitting on definitely too high for him.
Turn Whistleblower Act into Loudspeaker Act
The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakinisubscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments. Over the past one year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now.
These comments are compiled to reflect the views of Malaysiakinisubscribers on matters of public interest. Malaysiakini does not intend to represent these views as fact.