The latest twist in the 1MDB scandal is both mind boggling and atrocious. The tides is turned when whistleblowers such as Tony Pua, MP for Petaling Jaya Utara, Rafizi Ramli, MP for Pandan and Tong Kooi Ong, of the Edge Media Group, were barred from traveling overseas and to Sabah and Sarawak.
A major corruption expose now becomes a plot to topple the federal government?
Instead of going against parties allegedly involved in the multi-billion ringgit corruption scandals which now received intense criticism from no less the Wall Streets Journal and even former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, the UMNO-Barisan Nasional government goes for those who exposed corruption and abuse of power.
I urge the Home Minister to abide by the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010 which grants to whistleblowers immunity against civil and criminal action, and protection against detrimental action.
In this case, the action of the government clearly contradicted the provision of the said legislation.
Section 9 of the Act reads:
“…a whistleblower shall not be subject to any civil or criminal liability or any liability arising by way of administrative process, including disciplinary action, and no action, claim or demand may be taken or made against the whistleblower for making a disclosure of improper conduct.”
Section 10 (1) of the Act reads:
“…No person shall take detrimental action against a whistleblower or any person related to or associated with the whistleblower in reprisal for a disclosure of improper conduct.”
Neither the Police Diraja Malaysia (PDRM) nor any enforcement agency has any reasonable excuse to revoke such protection under section 11 of the said Act.
Hence, the government should immediately reverse the travel ban against Pua and others in the same fate as well as apologise to them.
Will Dr. Mahathir be next?
By attempting to crush whistleblowers under the might of government machinery, UMNO-Barisan Nasional is gagging critics who voiced up against corruption and abuse of power.
Since Dr. Mahathir has now become one of the fiercest critics of Prime Minister Najib Razak in the latter’s involvment in the 1MDB scandal, will Dr. Mahathir be the next victim of government’s silencing of dissent?
If this is the case, no one is allowed to tell the truth anymore in this country.